X-RAY MAGAZINE FEATURE

Kyrgyzstan's Lake Issyk-Kul: Touching Eternity

In Medieval times, when Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan was a stop-over on the Silk Route, which connected Europe and Asia, the lake level was some 8m lower than it is today. In areas along what used to be the coastline but have since become submerged, divers have discovered the remains of a 2,500-year-old advanced civilization. Vladimir Gudzev and his buddies went to the area to have a look.

Words:
Vladimir Gudzev
Images:
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Travel & Trips

The first account I heard of diving in Lake Issyk-Kul was an expedition many years ago headed by Academician Orbeli and comprised of a group of volunteers using ISA-M 48 oxygen rebreathers to explore the shallow waters along the coast. The story stuck in my mind—in case I ever got the opportunity to go there. As matters eventually turned out, I did. A friend of mine, Valentin Bukin, happened to work in a small research center on the coast of Lake Issyk-Kul, near the village of Cholpon-Ata.

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