Ruins of long-lost Turkish city found in northern Mongolia
Scientists have discovered the ruins of a long-lost city in northern Mongolia, believed to have been built by the Uyghur people around 1,400 years ago.
Turkish and Mongolian archaeologists discovered the ruins of the city known as Togu Balik during excavations in the Tuul River Valley which is referenced in Uyghur historical documents.
The findings were first reported by Turkiye Today.
Saban Dogan, the project’s lead archaeologist from Izmir Katip Calabi University in Turkey, said the discovery is significant because it sheds light on the early urban and residential life of the Uyghurs.
"This discovery fills a historical gap," Dogan was quoted in an interview with Radio Free Asia.
The city is believed to have been constructed between 630 and 680 CE, making it one of the earliest Uyghur cities. The Uyghur Khaganate, which existed from 740 to 840 CE, was a major empire in Central and Eastern Asia, extending from Lake Baikal in the north to the Great Wall of China in the south.
The discovery comes amidst contentions over Uyghur history by Chinese historians who say the Uyghur used to be a "Chinese nation rather than Turkic. They argue that Uyghurs migrated to what is now Xinjiang in the 9th century CE.
Alimjan Inayet, a professor of Uyghur folklore at Ege University in Turkey, disputed these claims, stating that Uyghurs have lived in the region known as East Turkistan for centuries. "Uyghurs didn’t come to East Turkistan in the 840s CE like current Chinese historians allege, but are the most ancient tribes that lived on this vast land," Inayet was quoted.
The discovery of Togu Balik, he added, proves that the Uyghurs were among the first Turkic tribes to establish cities and settle in them, moving away from their nomadic lifestyles.
The exact location of Togu Balik had been unclear until now, despite being mentioned in historical records. Artefacts found at the site have confirmed the identification of the city, according to Dogan.
Togu Balik is historically recognised as a key city of the Uyghur Khaganate and was inhabited by the Toquz Oghuz, a confederation of Turkic tribes known as the "nine clans." The city is also mentioned in the inscriptions of the Second Turkic Khaganate and the historical documents of China’s Tang Dynasty.
