The largest 3,000-year-old castle on the bottom of Turkey

Divers discover the ruins of a 3,000-year-old castle hidden deep in the bottom of Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey.

The castle was found by a group of lake research scientists for nearly 10 years, including Tahsin Ceylan, underwater photographer and cameraman, Mustafa Akkuş at University of Van Yüzüncü Yıl and Cumali Birol, International divers. Business Times yesterday reported.

Divers explore the castle beneath Lake Van.(Photo: Hurriyet Daily News).

The castle is more likely to belong to the Urartu civilization , an Iron Age kingdom in the Armenian plateau spread to Turkey, Armenia and Iran today.

"Many civilizations and residents settled around Lake Van. They called the lake a" high sea "and thought that this place contained many mysteries. We are exploring to reveal the secrets of the lake." , Ceylan shared.

The team heard many rumors about the existence of ancient underwater ruins. However, some archaeologists familiar with the area said they found almost nothing in the lake."What a miracle to find the castle under the water , " Ceylan said.

The stone structure of the castle covering the area of ​​about a square kilometer indicates that it belonged to the Urartu civilization that emerged in the middle of the 9th century before gradually deteriorating. " The walls of this castle stretch across a wide area. It is necessary to carry out underwater excavation because we don't know how deep the walls are , " Ceylan said.

Water in Lake Van is alkaline, causing the remains to be preserved intact. The castle as well as the countless villages and residential areas in the region were built during a period of significantly lower water than today.