Archaeologists may have uncovered medieval cities buried beneath the village of Kum-Dobo in Kyrgyzstan’s Kochkor Valley.

Local researcher Kaiyrbek Konurbaev said that the settlement sits atop the ancient city of Balasagun, The Caspian Post reports via Kyrgyz media.

“The cities of Balasagun and Suyab are buried underground between today’s villages of Kum-Dobo and Ak-Jar. In the 16th century, Mahmoud ibn Wali wrote about 280 brick structures hidden beneath the earth. In this area alone, I have identified the locations of more than 30 of them,” he said.

While official records place Balasagun and Suyab in the Chuy Valley, Konurbaev’s findings in Kum-Dobo suggest a different story. A mausoleum discovered on the village’s outskirts has fueled debate among historians.

For over 50 years, Konurbaev has collected artifacts from the area, amassing a private museum with over a thousand items.

“This valley holds an enormous concentration of archaeological materials and artifacts, unlike anywhere else in Kyrgyzstan. We find many just 30-40 centimeters below the surface. Excavating deeper could reveal immense wealth, the true history, and heritage of the Kyrgyz people,” he explained, proposing the construction of a local museum to preserve these discoveries.