Divers found a cemetery and places with signs of an old village at the bottom of Lake Van, Turkey's largest salty soda lake at 3,712 square kilometers.
The largest lake in Turkey and the second largest lake in the Middle East is called Lake Van (Van Gölü in Turkish). Additionally, it is the world's largest lake of sodium water.
By diving, people discovered the ruins at the bottom of Lake Van, and additional ones were added to them.
Following the dive by members of two associations in the provinces of Bitlis and Van, it was reported that cross-shaped sunken ruins believed to be part of an ancient city had been found in Lake Van's depths.
They discovered fresh puzzles that could only be addressed by diving, according to Cumali Birol, president of the Eastern Sea Association, in a statement to Demirören News Agency (DHA).
According to Cumali Birol, after the water levels dropped, reports of several tombstones and ruins found in the water between the Tatvan and Ahlat districts were sent to the appropriate agencies.
"Our divers discovered what appeared to be a hamlet in the area, including streets, tombs, and crosses with the Kayı tribe's markings. By providing the findings to specialists, we are attempting to shed light on the history of the area. Between Ahlat and Tatvan, we found a huge space. At the bottom of the river, there are cemeteries. The graves are marked with crosses.
Since there are remnants of old civilizations all around the lake basin, Birol emphasized that Lake Van is a mysterious location for divers. In recent years, more than 3 meters of water have receded in the lake basin, exposing numerous ruins.
"We sent two English geologists to the session that our organisation hosted. Thus, we have established that the Lake Van Basin was the location of the Noah's Flood. This notion is supported by the latest discoveries, which we made at a depth of 23 meters, said Birol.
While diving to study the lake in 2017, a group of archaeologists and independent divers from Van Yüzüncü Yıl University discovered a 3,000-year-old underwater fortification.