Archaeologists claim that the region of Pre-Issyk-Kul was inhabited by ancient humans during the Lower Paleolithic era, with around a thousand ancient tools found as evidence. Underwater research was conducted on Lake Issyk-Kul from 1985 to 1989, searching for the remnants of sunken cities. Several historically valuable items dating back 2000-2500 years were discovered, along with nine from medieval settlements and three from antiquity. One such find is the city of Chigu (the city of the Red Valley), discovered in the Tyup Bay, known as the capital of the nomadic Usuns and a trading center of Tian Shan on the Great Silk Road.
“It was all a long time ago, there are no eyewitnesses, it doesn’t matter...” - this is how the manaschi storytellers begin their historical songs.
Nearby, at the village of Toru-Aygyr, there are remnants of an ancient settlement, rock paintings, and stone sculptures. On the shore, near the "Ulan" tourist base, remnants of an ancient pottery factory were found, as well as ceramics, copper coins, and other items in the water.
The remains of one of the settlements are located underwater near the village of Kurmenty in the Tyup district. Here, it is presumed, stood a monastery with the relics of the apostle Matthew. Other researchers tend to believe that the monastery was in the area of the Tyup Agricultural College, where the walls of the missionary Holy Trinity Orthodox Men's Monastery still stand today.
From the second half of the 7th century, active construction of settlements along the Silk Road began in Pre-Issyk-Kul.
Up until the arrival of Genghis Khan's hordes in Central Asia (early 13th century), the cities of Pre-Issyk-Kul flourished and grew wealthy. After the devastating raids of the Mongols, the cities were abandoned, and this process proved irreversible. Chroniclers of Timur's campaigns (late 14th century) no longer noted significant cities on Issyk-Kul. The final destruction of medieval settlements on the coast was completed by the lake itself: by the 16th century, it had completely submerged all the cities. Hydrographic and archaeological studies have shown that in the 11th-14th centuries, the water level in the lake was 6-6.5 meters lower than it is today.
Today, archaeologists are aware of more than a dozen ancient and medieval settlements located underwater. Numerous historical and cultural treasures from the Saka-Usun period (1st millennium BC) have been discovered in them: clay jugs and bronze cauldrons, various metal items from the early Middle Ages: hums, cauldrons, dishes from the Mongol-Timurid period, blue ceramics, and coins. Divers and archaeologists from around the world are invited to Lake Issyk-Kul, where they can have an exciting time and relax.
The sunken cities of Issyk-Kul, fragments of which have been uncovered, represent a unique tourist product for creating adventure programs focused on treasure hunting. According to historical science, there may be up to 200 large and small treasures in the region of the lake.
