Eventually, even great cities fall. This happens either due to disasters or war. Amazingly, some of these cities lurk just beneath the surface of some bodies of water around the world. Some of them represent some significant archaeological findings in recent history while others are just mysterious in their origin. If you want to discover the eerie remains and secrets of these 9 submerged cities, pack some scuba gear, a sense of adventure and your imagination, then dive in.
It was named Lion City because there are Five Lion Mountains, looming large behind it. It had been buried for more than 53 years beneath water and was founded about 1,300 years ago. It’s located about 85- 131 feet beneath the Qiandao Lake. (read more here)
The Cleopatra palace was discovered in Alexandria after being lost for more than 1600 years. According to Legends, Cleopatra and Marc Anthony committed suicide to avoid capture by the Romans whereupon the Romans destroyed and dispersed their belongings. An earthquake and Tsunami occurred few centuries after the death of Cleopatra, and scattered the palace 10 metres under murky water. (Source)
Nicholas Flemming discovered several buildings underwater in Greece, in 1967. In 1968, Cambridge university archeologists helped him map his discovery out and as it turns out, they found an entire city with roads, buildings and tombs. It was named Palvotetri, the modern name of the Island and beach where they made the discovery. The city is believed to have been occupied some 5,000 years ago. (Source 1, 2)
Port Royal was once known as the “Wickedest City on Earth†due to prostitution, its coma-inducing-rum and rampant piracy. The city was hit by an earthquake in 1962 – an incident that was considered punishment for the wild town. (Source)
Baiae was the home port for the Western Imperia Fleet in ancient Rome. It was a fashionable resort know for the super-rich, ‘hedonistic temptations’ on offer. There were also rumors of corruption and countless scandals. The port is also known due to Caligula (Gaius), also known as the ‘Emperor of Excess’, who ruled the Roman Empire from 37 to 41 AD. (Source) [td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_2″ spot_title=”Advertisement”]
6 The Shore Temple, Mahabalipuram, IndiaImage Source: www.bbc.co.uk
According to legends, the Mahabalipuram temple had seven dazzling temples but the gods grew jealous and sent a great flood that submerged all except one, the Shore Temple. After the December 2004 tsunami, the collapsed temple was exposed as well as other structures and primordial rock sculptures used to decorate the walls and religious shrines.(Source)
7 The Pyramids of Yonaguni-Jima, Japan
The Yonaguni monument was discovered by a Dive Tour Operator in the 1980s. It has one large looming structure that looks like a monotholic pyramid. Surrounding this structure are other structures including a castle, a stadium and five temples. All these structures are surprisingly connected by water lines and roads. The city is believed to have been built 10,000 years ago. (Source)
Dwarka was discovered in 2000. According to ancient history, Lord Krishna founded the city but it subsequently got submerged in water. Lord Krishna’s city consisted of 70,000 palaces that were made of precious metals like silver and Gold but they allegedly sunk into sea upon his death. The ruins are about 131 feet beneath the surface of modern day Dwarka. The underwater ruins point towards existence of a global ancient civilization. (Source)
9 Herakleion Egypt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_nr2OdM0YI#t=722 Herakleion was a thriving center of religion and business before it got destroyed by tsunamis and earthquakes 1,300 years ago. Franck Goddio, a French underwater archaeologist found this city and that of Canopus. Among the statues archaeologists found on its discovery, was the statue of the fertility goddess Isis. (Source)
