Sunken ship comes to light in massive Turkish lake

VAN, Turkey

The remains of a ship that sank many years ago in Lake Van in eastern Turkey emerged Wednesday as its water level recedes due to global warming.

The increasing effects of global warming are causing water level changes in the lake during certain periods, and as a result, a number of historic artifacts dating back to the Seljuk and Ottoman empires are coming to light.

Photography enthusiasts and locals have begun coming to the region to view and capture images of the vessel.

Mustafa Akkus, a faculty member at Van Yuzuncu Yil University, told Anadolu Agency that some underwater structures have emerged with the changes in water levels.

Noting that Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, Akkus said it has always been a frequent destination for civilizations throughout history and a crossing point between East and West.

He said three enormous ships were built by the Russians in the early 1900s, and one of them, known as Akdamar, was previously discovered in the lake.

The latest ship that came to light also has similar characteristics to the Akdamar, said Akkus.

“We see that the shape, construction and riveting technique is the same. Divers had the chance to view it underwater before, but the ship surfaced with the receding of the lake water."

VAN, Turkey

The remains of a ship that sank many years ago in Lake Van in eastern Turkey emerged Wednesday as its water level recedes due to global warming.

Photography enthusiasts and locals have begun coming to the region to view and capture images of the vessel.

Mustafa Akkus, a faculty member at Van Yuzuncu Yil University, told Anadolu Agency that some underwater structures have emerged with the changes in water levels.

Noting that Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, Akkus said it has always been a frequent destination for civilizations throughout history and a crossing point between East and West.

He said three enormous ships were built by the Russians in the early 1900s, and one of them, known as Akdamar, was previously discovered in the lake.

The latest ship that came to light also has similar characteristics to the Akdamar, said Akkus.

“We see that the shape, construction and riveting technique is the same. Divers had the chance to view it underwater before, but the ship surfaced with the receding of the lake water."