Underwater excavations begin off Kekova Island after wreck discovery

A research team from Akdeniz University in Antalya carried out underwater surveys around Kekova Island on behalf of Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. During the work, a shipwreck was found on the seabed and underwater excavations began.

At first, the wreck was thought to date from the Ottoman period. That assumption rested on initial finds near the surface and was not treated as settled before closer study.

The discovery was significant as an example of the rich underwater cultural heritage along Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Later work led to a reassessment of the wreck's age, and this first discovery is the background to the current news of its Guinness World Records entry.