Beneath the glittering surface of Lake Van or hidden among the submerged ruins of ancient cities, Turkey’s underwater palaces hold more than myth—they tell stories of shifting landscapes and disappearing civilisations.
One of the most fascinating examples lies in Lake İznik, where archaeologists discovered the submerged ruins of a Byzantine basilica, believed to date back to the 4th century. Often referred to by locals as an “underwater palace,” this structure rests beneath just a few metres of freshwater. The site highlights the region's tectonic activity, particularly the influence of the North Anatolian Fault, which has reshaped the terrain over millennia and likely caused the building’s submersion.
From a geographical standpoint, these underwater remains reveal how plate tectonics, erosion, rising water levels, and climate shifts have sculpted Turkey’s topography over time. Coastal changes around the Marmara Sea and Aegean coastline have also revealed traces of lost settlements, showing how the meeting point of Europe and Asia is not just a cultural crossroads—but a geologically dynamic one too.
These palatial ruins beneath Turkish waters serve as both a historical time capsule and a reminder of Earth’s ever-changing face—where land can become sea, and stone can sleep below the surface for centuries.
