The civilization of Ancient Egypt is likely not a foreign topic to many. When we mention this ancient civilization, we immediately think of iconic symbols such as the Sphinx, Pharaohs, or the anthropomorphic deities with animal heads.
In addition to these characteristics, Egypt is also famous for an ancient city with a history of thousands of years submerged beneath the ocean. This is the city of Thonis-Heracleion, often compared to the legendary Atlantis.
The city of Thonis-Heracleion submerged beneath the ocean
The Legendary City of the Egyptians
Located in today’s Abu Qir Bay, just 24 km northeast of Alexandria, the city of Thonis-Heracleion dates back up to 2,700 years. At that time, it was a bustling city with a network of canals scattered throughout. With its ports, wharves, and temples connected by ferries and floating bridges, it truly was a city with one of the highest maritime traffic in the world at that time.
The location of the ancient lost city
The name Thonis-Heracleion is derived from a combination of Egyptian and Greek names. The Egyptians referred to it as Thonis, while the Greeks called it Heracleion.
It is known that in the 5th century BC, the Greek historian Herodotus was the first to mention the existence of this city. He noted that before Alexandria was founded in 331 BC, Heracleion was already established and served as a trading hub for goods from the Mediterranean.
2D reconstruction of the city of Thonis-Heracleion
Mysteriously Disappeared Overnight
Despite being one of the prominent cities of ancient civilization, in the past, Thonis-Heracleion was regarded as a city only found in legend due to its untraceable disappearance.
Although many people mentioned Heracleion, in the 19th century, no one could prove that it had ever existed, as it only appeared in a few ancient Egyptian and Greek texts while the remnants of this city remained a mystery.
The city of Heracleion was once considered a legend
It wasn’t until 2001, during a search for a sunken warship, that underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio and his expedition team accidentally discovered the city hidden beneath the waters of the Nile.
Deep beneath the ocean, the ruins of Heracleion gradually revealed themselves in excellent condition, despite being buried for 1,200 years. In this submerged area alone, 64 various ships and 700 anchors were discovered. This indicates that the bustling trade and the network of ports mentioned in ancient texts were entirely accurate.
In addition to the ships, many gold, silver, and bronze coins were also found. These were seen as the currency used for trade at that time. Along with them were numerous colossal statues of deities, stone stele, and even stone sarcophagi containing mummified animals offered to the gods.
Wreckage of a sunken ship
The Cause of Disappearance
After in-depth research, experts believe that the disappearance of this city is closely related to natural disasters. A massive earthquake along with 100-meter-high tsunamis caused everything to sink to the seabed, remaining hidden for thousands of years.
Other artifacts found by the expedition team
