Exclusive translation: The lost city of Zakiko has resurfaced after spending decades underwater in the Mosul Reservoir, Dohuk Governorate, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The 3,400-year-old settlement emerged earlier this year after a prolonged period of severe drought in the country led to large amounts of water being drawn from the reservoir to irrigate crops, causing water levels to plummet.
This resulted in the exposure of the ancient city’s buildings, including massive fortifications, a multi-storey storage building, and an industrial complex, all dating back 3,400 years to the time of the Mitanni Empire (1550-1350 BC).
A team of German and Kurdish archaeologists first excavated the imperial city of Mitanni during a drought in 2018, but they weren’t able to fully investigate before it was flooded again.
The city is now under water again, but it is covered with plastic sheeting and gravel to prevent further deterioration, according to the Daily Mail.
The vast old city of Kemun is located in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and was once located on the Tigris River. The Mosul Dam was built between 1981 and 1984, and the following spring it began to flood the Tigris and fill the reservoir.