What happened to the lost city of Heracleion?

At the end of the second century BC, probably after a severe flood, the ground on which the central island of Heracleion was built succumbed to soil liquefaction. The hard clay turned rapidly into a liquid and the buildings collapsed into the water.

When was the lost city of Heracleion found?

The city was rediscovered by underwater archaeologists in 2001. Remains of an ancient military vessel discovered in the Mediterranean sunken city of Thonis-Heracleion off the coast of Egypt. Photo by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.

Where is the city of Heracleion now?

Heracleion was an ancient Egyptian city located near the Canopic Mouth of the Nile, about 32 km northeast of Alexandria. Its ruins are located in Abu Qir Bay, currently 2.5 km off the coast, under 10 m of water.

Was Egypt underwater?

A series of earthquakes resulted in the city gradually falling into the sea, until it was completely underwater about 1,000 years ago. The city flourished at a time when many Greeks were coming to Egypt and bringing their cultural traditions with them.

Can you scuba dive in the lost city of Heracleion?

Recreational diving is not allowed at Thonis-Heracleion, but research divers and underwater archaeologists consistently excavate and find new artifacts at the site. This underwater scouring most recently revealed the wreck of a fast galley, an ancient kind of boat propelled by oarsmen, and a burial ground.

What happened to the ancient city of Heracleion?

The city of Heracleion was swallowed by the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt nearly 1,200 years ago. It was one of the most important trade centers in the Mediterranean before it sank more than a millennium ago. For centuries, the existence of Heracleion was believed to be a myth, much like the city of Atlantis is viewed today.

When was Heracleion rediscovered?

Known as Heracleion to the ancient Greeks and Thonis to the ancient Eygptians, the city was rediscovered in 2000 by French underwater archaeologist Dr. Franck Goddio and a team from the European Institute for Underwater Acheology (IEASM) after a four-year geophysical survey.

Who is the statue at Heracleion in Egypt?

One of the most impressive finds at the sunken city of Heracleion in the Bay of Aboukir was the statue of a Ptolemaic era queen. It probably represented Cleopatra II or Cleopatra III, dressed as the goddess Isis.

What happened to the ancient Egyptian port of Thonis-Heracleion?

The preeminent Egyptian port, Thonis-Heracleion, rested at the bottom of the sea lost for 1300 years. The Egyptian city of Thonis-Heracleion was the main port of entry to the Mediterranean Sea between the 8th century BCE and the 4th century BCE. Sometime in the 8th century CE, the city sank into the sea and eventually became a distant memory.