Archaeology & History

Kyrgyzstan's 'Atlantis' discovered submerged beneath Lake Issyk Kul

By T.K. Randall
November 16, 2025

Image: Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan
Credit: Ninara / CC BY 2.0 (adapted) While Atlantis remains the quintessential fabled 'lost city', it is by no means the only place to have been lost to the waves in the distant past - there have been stories of settlements being inundated by floodwaters dating back thousands of years in cultures all across the world.

One such legend centers on Kyrgyzstan's Lake Issyk Kul - a large body of water measuring 182km in length, just under 60km wide and up to 2,188km deep.

Recently, archaeologists discovered the remains of a 15th-Century settlement - known as Toru-Aygyr - in one of the shallower parts of the lake, which was home to houses, schools, burial grounds, bathhouses and possibly even a grain-milling operation.

In its prime, the town was an important part of the historic Silk Road - a major trading network that connected Europe with Asia and which facilitated the trading of spices, silks and precious metals.It is thought that the entire settlement was resigned to history after a devastating earthquake hit the area - eventually turning the town from a major commercial hub into a forgotten ruin.

Over time, the water level of the lake rose so that even the ruins themselves disappeared from view.

"According to our assessment, at the time of the disaster, the residents had already left the settlement," said expedition leader Valery Kolchenko.

"After the earthquake disaster, the region's population changed drastically, and the rich medieval settlement civilization ceased to exist."

Source: Mail Online

Tags: Kyrgyzstan