After nine years of painstaking excavation, a team of archeologists has finally unearthed enough evidence to prove that they have found the elusive city of Itil, the capital of the medieval Khazars Empire that ruled over the area around the Caspian Sea in the seventh and eight centuries.

While archeologists have known about the existence of the Khazars Empire from Jewish, Arab and European historians, very little was known about their culture, habits and style of living until now. The Khazars were a Turkic Tribe, who practised Judaism (Jewish religion). They were mainly found in the regions around Northern China and the Black Sea.

According to the medieval chronicles, they became extremely powerful between the seventh and the tenth century, conquering large areas of what is now Ukraine and Southern Russia, as well as parts of Central Asia. It is believed the capital Itil, believed to be located about 800 miles south of Moscow, was extremely prosperous, thanks to its location right in the middle of the 'Silk Road' - a major trading route,

Among the artifacts found were the remains of a triangular fortress, modest yurt-style homes, wooden kitchen utensils, glass lamps and cups, and jewelry all dating back to the 7th and 8th century. While the find is exciting and may provide a glimpse into the lives of the Khazars, not everybody is convinced that this is the capital of Khazaria. The complete absence of any Khazars writings and Jewish artifacts, gives some historians reason to believe that this may not be Itil, but some other ancient city.

Source: DailyNews.com Yahoonews.com