Surely there is no person who has not heard of the existence of Atlantis lost in the depths of the water. The legend is still alive, despite the absence of any sane evidence or at least indirect evidence of its existence. The popularity of Atlantis is also incomprehensible because there are a number of real underwater cities that many people have not even heard of. They disappeared hundreds of years ago, and their ruins are almost forgotten and reside in the margins of world history. At one time they were the basis of powerful kingdoms or were prosperous city-states, until the abyss was absorbed. We bring to your attention 10 underwater cities, which hardly anyone told you about.
10
Tian state
At the beginning of the XXI year, archaeologists working at the Chinese lake Fushian Hu made a unique discovery. At the bottom of the pond, the ruins of a whole city were found, the existence of which has long been tales among the local population. Residents of the area claimed that in calm weather, its outlines are visible at the bottom of the lake.
Further “excavations” showed that the find is truly unique - there were cobbled streets in the city, and the total area of the settlement was 6.5 km². Raising several objects to the surface, scientists conducted a study, finding out that their manufacture was made about 1800 years ago. Maybe the water sharpens the stone, but in this case it allowed to preserve the unique architecture dating back to the period of the Tien state.
9
Edum
The Wadden Sea bathes the northern borders of Germany, and is part of the North Sea. It would relate to it completely, if not for a narrow strip of islands called Frisian. The city of Eidum was located on one of these islands. Time and sea waters are gradually destroying the coastal zone, so it is not surprising that Eidum suffered the same fate.
From the mainland of Germany you can see the ruins of the former city, the beginning of construction of which dates back to the XIV century. Work to strengthen the settlement did not stop for a year, but the sea was inexorable, which led to the collapse. In the 30s of the XV century, the island of Sylt (it was Adum that stood on it) was subjected to severe flooding, which claimed the lives of almost two hundred people. So that the tragedy does not happen again, local residents abandoned the settlement and climbed the hill, founding Westerland, which exists in our time. The ruins of Eidum, "looking" to the surface at low tide, are still a silent reminder of the courage of the townspeople who defied nature.
8
Olus
Cretan Minoan civilization is one of the oldest cultures known to mankind. It had a huge impact on the development of Ancient Greece, which spread cultural expansion in many parts of Europe. Unfortunately, many settlements on the island were destroyed by floods and earthquakes, but even now the ruins of ancient cities attract the inquiring gaze of travelers.
One of these was Olus. It was an independent city that entered into an agreement with a number of Cretan and Greek city states. Before the flooding, Olus was a large settlement with rich architecture and high development of trade and handicraft industry. Foreigners were allowed to settle in Olus, and its independence was proved by minting its own coins. It all ended after the earthquake that occurred in the II century BC. e. The ruins went under water, taking with them the former greatness of Olus.
7
Llis Helig
According to Welsh legend, during his reign, the Welsh monarch Helig Glanog decided to confirm his greatness by erecting a huge castle that could be compared to a whole city in size. For construction, he chose the area on the shore of Conwy Bay, famous for frequent storms. It is not surprising that it was the waters of Conwy that destroyed the built castle and all the lands of the Welsh ruler. Based on the same legend, a rocky ridge. Lying along the waters of the bay, and there are the ruins of the castle Llis Helig. Although there is no scientific confirmation of the theory, scientists claim that the ridge was formed in a natural way.
And yet, sometimes legends can be true. A few years ago, a group of scuba divers found a flooded wall in the waters of Conwy, the date of construction of which is suitable for the estimated time of the foundation of the castle.
By the way, there is an interesting article on the most enduring medieval castles on our site thebiggest.ru.
6
Mulifanua Bay
Samoa consists of a group of islands, each of which is famous for its original culture, rooted several centuries ago. In the northern part of the largest island of Upolu is the village of Mulifanua, which in the 70s of the XX century was to become the link in the construction of a ferry between the islands of the state. Preparing the coast for construction, workers discovered many clay products on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
Such a find attracted the attention of the world community. As a result, dozens of archaeologists and historians from around the world reached for Mulifanua to conduct research. Their result was the identification of one of the settlements of Lapit, the people who inhabited the islands of Oceania. At the time of its existence, lapite possessed the most developed culture of the region. Thanks to the find, scientists were able to confirm the version of the high stage of development at which the civilization of Lapit was located. Analysis of clay shards determined the date of their manufacture in the VIII century BC. e.
5
Fairy
If you love the history of the Ancient World, then the details of the Peloponnesian war are hardly worth reminding you. The conflict lasted almost 3 decades, and lay in the struggle of Athens and Sparta among themselves for supremacy in Greece.
The war of the two unions swept not only the territory of the Balkan Peninsula, but also reached the Greek policies in the territory of modern Italy and Turkey. One of the most important settlements during the conflict was the city of Fairy, located in Western Greece. It was used by the Delos Union (Athens) as a base for sending food and weapons. This is one of the first references to a city destroyed by an earthquake after nearly 900 years. The ruins were forgotten by everyone until the beginning of the 20th century, when archaeologists managed to get permission to start excavations. In the 70s, craft accessories and parts of sculptures and buildings belonging to the ancient city were discovered on the seabed.
We also recommend that you watch a fascinating article on thebiggest.ru about the TOP 10 mysterious structures of the ancient world.
4
Itil
Around the existence of this Khazar capital there has always been a lot of speculation and rumor. It is believed that the Great Silk Road ran through the city, and its division of the Volga Delta into three parts largely determined the cultural difference of each region. During the existence of the city from the 7th to the 10th centuries, many nationalities with different faiths lived in it. People were drawn here, as the glory of a safe settlement with fair laws was entrenched in the city.
The city was destroyed by the Kiev prince Svyatoslav Igorevich, the illustrious commander who seized many lands east and west of the Kiev principality. Itil was almost completely destroyed, and mention of it was found only in the ancient writings of Muslims and Slavic legends about the glorious campaigns of Svyatoslav. The situation changed when, at the beginning of the XXI century, scientists discovered the ruins of an ancient city in an area suitable for describing the location of Itil. The “remains” of the settlement are almost completely flooded by the Caspian Sea.
3
Rungholt
Another city on our list that has become a victim of the North Sea. Rungholt is a small settlement of the Danish Duchy of Schleswig. Its exact location is still controversial, but Strand Island is the most common version. He repeatedly underwent "contour" changes as a result of hurricanes and floods. One of the storms led to the destruction of Runghold, whose entire population (about 25 thousand) was absorbed by water. Stormy tide occurred in the winter of 1362, destroying many settlements on the coast of modern Holland, Germany, Denmark and the UK.
After almost 300 years, the island survived a flood that tore it apart, flooding with many canals. This made the job of finding Rungholt virtually impossible. However, in the 20s of the XX century, scuba divers managed to get several items from the bottom of the Wadden Sea, possibly belonging to the inhabitants of this ill-fated city.
2
Fanagoria
Greek city-states went far beyond the borders of Greece itself. Among their colonies there were several policies located in our places, namely on the coast of the Black and Azov Seas. One of these cities was Fanagoria, washed by the waters of the Kerch Strait.
The inhabitants of Fanagoria conducted trade with local peoples, among which were Scythians and Sinds. Throughout its existence, the policy survived several military conflicts and incursions from other states. So, in the IV century BC. e. he became part of the Bosporus kingdom, eventually gaining the status of one of the capitals of the ancient state. The townspeople were active participants in the Mithridates Wars, speaking on the side of Ancient Rome.
As often happens, nature shows a man in his place, turning into ruins what he built for centuries. The local population was forced to leave Phanagoria due to the constantly rising water level in the Black Sea, which eventually flooded the city. There are still legends that at the site of the ancient settlement you can find countless riches hidden from the human eye.
1
Seftinge
The Dutch city of Seftinge is proof of human pride and stupidity. To build it here in the XIII century, local residents actively drained the swamps, trying to “get” rich soil for livestock and agriculture. At first, they succeeded, the rich city built was the subject of envy and admiration for visitors who were surprised by the townspeople. The end to everything was a flood that happened in the 70s of the XVI century. It is interesting that the city itself was practically not damaged, but the lands around it were completely flooded and damaged.
Of course, such a city no longer represented any value. The Dutch decided to flood it, destroying the dam during the Netherlands Revolution, during which they fought for independence from the Spanish monarchy. Later, they again tried to “raise” it to the surface, but to no avail. Today it is an extreme tourist attraction, which is allowed only accompanied by experienced guides who know the terrain and the "tide" of tides.
Finally
What flooded cities do you know about? Please share this information with us in the comments, and perhaps we will expand our list of underwater cities.