Archaeologists have uncovered a medieval Silk Road settlement beneath Lake Issyk‑Kul in northeast Kyrgyzstan, likely submerged after a major 15th‑century earthquake. Surveys of four shallow underwater sites revealed kiln‑fired brick buildings, a millstone, collapsed structures and a decorated public building that may have been a mosque or madrassa. A Muslim cemetery of about 14 acres yielded two skeletons oriented toward Mecca, and pottery including a large khum was recorded for later recovery. Sediment cores were taken to help reconstruct the city's development and the events that caused its loss.
Sunken Silk Road City Found beneath Lake Issyk‑Kul — Medieval Trade Hub Lost to a 15th‑Century Quake
Archaeologists have uncovered a medieval Silk Road settlement beneath Lake Issyk‑Kul in northeast Kyrgyzstan, likely submerged after a major 15th‑century earthquake. Surveys of four shallow underwater sites revealed kiln‑fired brick buildings, a millstone, collapsed structures and a decorated public building that may have been a mosque or madrassa. A Muslim cemetery of about 14 acres yielded two skeletons oriented toward Mecca, and pottery including a large khum was recorded for later recovery. Sediment cores were taken to help reconstruct the city's development and the events that caused its loss.
10:35 AM, 11/19/2025Culture
Archaeologists have identified the remains of a medieval settlement submerged beneath Lake Issyk‑Kul in northeast Kyrgyzstan. The site, once an important stop on a Silk Road route linking China and the West, appears to have been submerged after a major earthquake in the early 15th century.
Where and how it was found
Teams surveyed four shallow underwater locations (about 1–4 meters / 3–13 feet deep) near the lake's northwest shore, the medieval footprint of a town known as Toru‑Aygyr. Researchers documented kiln‑fired brick buildings, collapsed stone structures, wooden beams and a public building with exterior decoration that may have been a mosque or madrassa.
"The monument under study is a city or a large commercial agglomeration on one of the important sections of the Silk Road," said Valerii Kolchenko, who led the Kyrgyz contingent. He added that "at the beginning of the 15th century, as a result of a terrible earthquake, the city went under the waters of the lake … the tragedy can be compared to Pompeii."
What the team uncovered
Among the finds were a millstone suggesting a grain mill, fragments of medieval pottery and a large intact khum (water jar) slated for recovery on a future expedition. Divers recorded the remains of mud‑brick houses and carried out underwater drilling to extract sediment cores that will help reconstruct the city's development and the events that led to its submergence.
One submerged area revealed a Muslim cemetery covering roughly 14 acres (about 6 hectares). The expedition recovered two skeletons whose faces were aligned toward Mecca—consistent with Islamic burial practice—and dated the cemetery to around the 13th century, after Islam spread into the region under the Golden Horde.
Historical context and significance
Archaeologists note that Toru‑Aygyr was multicultural before the 13th century, with evidence of Tengrian, Buddhist and Nestorian Christian practices; the arrival of Islam reshaped trade and daily life. The discovery offers a rare, well‑preserved glimpse of a Silk Road community and promises new insights into medieval Central Asian urban life, trade networks and the geological events that reshaped the region.
Next steps: Researchers plan to raise additional artifacts, continue underwater mapping and analyze sediment cores to refine the timeline of occupation and submergence.