Secrets of sunken Kibatos Castle unraveled

The history of Kibatos Castle, an important structure of the Byzantine period, which was discovered at a depth of about 3 meters in 2019 in the Marmara Sea, is being revealed through research.

The "Yalova Coasts Antique Harbor and Underwater Survey" has been carried out for the castle, which is known to have been built in the Byzantine period in Hersek in the Altınova district of Yalova and is believed to have ruined because of the earthquakes.

Serkan Gündüz, a member of the Bursa Uludağ University's (BUÜ) Faculty of Arts and Sciences Underwater Archeology Department, and his team, with the support of the Turkish Historical Society and the sponsorship of the Altınova Municipality, have obtained important data regarding the castle.

Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency, Gündüz said that the underwater research in the region, where the North Anatolian Fault Line is effective, sheds light on earthquakes and coastal changes.

Stating that the surface surveys have revealed archaeological finds underwater at two different points along the Altınova coastline, Gündüz said, "In addition to the remains of the structure, which is believed to be a pier and a lighthouse and which Evliya Çelebi mentioned in his travel books, a group of other structures has also been discovered underwater. The pier and lighthouse, which we learn from written sources, were used from the Byzantine period to the last period of the Ottoman Empire and shed light on the importance of the region in the Ottoman period. Çelebi also writes in his book that he landed from this pier."

Gündüz explained that another underwater cultural heritage discovered in the region is believed to be the ancient city of Limnae.

Stating that in his research, finds dating from...