Tahsin Ceylan, from Van Yí¼zí¼ncí¼ Yıl University had been searching Lake Van, in Turkey, for the legendary "Lake Van Monster."
They had been diving recently, searching for the reported creature, when they came across another massive discovery that they weren't expecting, a 3000-year-old castle that had been lost to the passing of time.
"There was a rumour that there might be something under the water but most archaeologists and museum officials told us that we won't find anything," Ceylan told the Daily Sabah.
Ceylan's team had been searching the lake for nearly a decade when their patience, persistence and hard work finally paid off. It turned out that the rumors of a long-lost castle-fortress were not exaggerated.
The structure itself is quite massive, running just under a mile in length, with walls between 10 and 13 feet high. The conditions within the lake have been perfect for preserving the castle, allowing for future study. It is believed that the castle was once part of the Urartu civilization, who flourished during the Iron Age.
This castle is not the only thing that the team have divers have found hidden beneath the calm, cool waters of Lake Van.
The team also found 1.5 square miles of rock formations that the they have dubbed, "fairy chimneys." It is a hidden underwater "fantasy world." The team also found a large number of grave stones that date back at least 1000 years.
It's crazy to think that all of this could be hiding underneath serene blue water. Fairy chimneys, gravestones and a massive forgotten castle, what else could the team end up finding under there as they continue the search?
There is still a ton of information about the castle to uncover: how far under the lake floor do the walls go? Who really built it? Why? And when did it sink below the waters to be forgotten by everyone?
"We now believe we have discovered a new area for archaeologists and historians to study," said Ceylan.