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Judi Lynn

(160,542 posts)
Thu Mar 7, 2019, 03:09 AM Mar 2019

Discovery story missed altogether last year, regarding castle at the bottom of a lake:

A Mysterious 3,000-Year-Old Castle Has Been Found Under a Lake in Turkey
MICHELLE STARR 7 APR 2018



Sunken cities are typically the stuff of legend, but at the end of last year archaeologists found the real thing hiding deep within Lake Van in Turkey.

After a decade of searching the Middle East's second largest lake, the home of a lost kingdom has been found hundreds of metres beneath the surface.

Archaeologists from the Van Yüzüncü Yıl University announced the incredible discovery in November 2017 - a vast 3,000-year-old castle preserved deep within the lake in amazing condition. The researchers worked closely with an independent team of divers to find their prize.

Lost underwater cities and castles are a popular motif in folklore and local legend around the world. Indeed, so are stories of ancient lost monsters hiding in deep lakes.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/lake-van-turkey-3-000-year-old-sunken-castle-discovered-urartu

~ ~ ~

The True Story Behind Turkey's Ancient 'Underwater Castle'
By Owen Jarus, Live Science Contributor | November 28, 2017 10:47am ET

- click for image -

https://img.purch.com/h/1400/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5saXZlc2NpZW5jZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA5Ni85NzMvb3JpZ2luYWwvdW5kZXJ3YXRlci1zdHJ1Y3R1cmUtMi5qcGc=

The castle found beneath the surface of Lake Van in Turkey may have been built 3,000 years ago by ancient people called the Urartians, but archaeologists can't say for certain.
Credit: Photo by Tahsin Ceylan

Last week, a story about a 3,000-year-old castle discovered beneath the waters of Lake Van, in Turkey, went viral. But what's the real story behind this Atlantis-like discovery?

It turns out that the story is more complicated and mysterious than recent news reports suggest, Live Science found after speaking with several archaeologists as well as the leader of the photography team who discovered the castle.

Parts of the "castle," a term that the discoverers use to describe it, likely date to the Middle Ages, which lasted from about A.D. 476 to 1450, and it may not be an entirely new discovery: Reports from surveys of the Lake Van area conducted in the 1950s and 1960s noted the existence of the structure. It's not clear when the castle was washed underwater. [See Photos of the Remains of the Underwater Castle in Turkey]

For instance, some of those reports indicated that medieval castle builders at Lake Van actually reused ancient material dating back to about 1000 B.C. to create the castle walls. The reports also mention a wall that plunges into the lake that has inscriptions on it that discuss an ancient king named "Rusa" and his interactions with a god named "Haldi."

More:
https://www.livescience.com/61038-real-story-of-ancient-underwater-castle.html



Unexpected images of the landscape around Lake Van, Turkey. Interesting.

http://tinyurl.com/y2e2m5pb
17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Judi Lynn

(160,542 posts)
3. Wow. Totally wild. I have to come back in the daytime to study this.
Thu Mar 7, 2019, 04:19 AM
Mar 2019

It's one of a kind, for sure.

Thank you.

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,492 posts)
8. Thanks - Very interesting story and site.
Thu Mar 7, 2019, 06:26 AM
Mar 2019

It's amazing at some of the castles that vise has built!

I am surprised no one has turned it into a public park and tourist attraction......

Quite a crook, this guy Whitaker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitaker_Wright

...........

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
9. Oh yeah, I love Atlas Obscura! I'm on their email list, get fascinating stories about cool places
Thu Mar 7, 2019, 10:08 AM
Mar 2019

All the time ...

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,492 posts)
10. It is fun and thanks for refreshing my memory on it, Mr Lebowski.
Thu Mar 7, 2019, 12:25 PM
Mar 2019

So many good sites to learn from and enjoy these days! I love The Guardian for news (less BS than US outlets) but to me the BBC can't be beat for comprehensive short documentaries. You may well already be familiar with these, but just in case, these are good ones:

Travel (my favorite): http://www.bbc.com/travel/

Other sections:

Culture: http://www.bbc.com/culture/us

Food: https://www.bbc.com/food

and, Nature: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p013mrl5

Good example: "Audio slideshow: Exploring Arabia"

mahina

(17,665 posts)
16. That was fabulous, thank you. I had no idea how lovely Arabia is
Sat Mar 9, 2019, 02:21 PM
Mar 2019

Looking forward to exploring the rest of what you’ve mentioned.

I really hope that funding for the BBC is able to continue with everything that the UK is going through thanks very much for sharing this with us.

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,492 posts)
17. This one is pretty good too, Mahina...
Sat Mar 9, 2019, 02:50 PM
Mar 2019

but usually not as thorough as BBC:

Link: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/europe

(note that there's a US and a UK travel section, too)

For The Guardian, I make sure the edition is set for "International Edition" in the drop-down in the upper right-hand corner of their web page. That way, when you go to "News" you don't get a lot of stuff from the U.S. (as in Trump).

You're right about the BBC. For many years, the Tories have made no secret of their contempt for all public funded services and just like our Republicans, want to privatize everything. My impression is the British public wants their BBC left alone.

Response to Judi Lynn (Original post)

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,492 posts)
6. In a few hundred years, that could be Miami.
Thu Mar 7, 2019, 06:04 AM
Mar 2019

In the year 2250, divers find the ruins of a poorly built castle with an inscription of Mar-A-Lago, built by one leader of the primitive, now extinct people called Repug. Preserved were a large quantities of artifacts having fake gold paint covering them.

Unexplained orange stains were found about on the walls, along with evidence of a primitive game played on the grounds that left strange pits, ponds and open areas which make little sense.

Divers found little of value to salvage and in fact do not plan to survey further due to a heavy concentration of highly toxic dogma remaining at this site.

.....

Thanks for the interesting OP, Judi Lynn!..........

JohnnyRingo

(18,636 posts)
13. Should've called Basement Waterproofers
Fri Mar 8, 2019, 01:44 PM
Mar 2019

Just kidding. In a couple decades this could be how Donald Trump Jr pays his greens fees at Mar A Lago.

Very cool. Thanx for posting.

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