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Heraclion, Ancient Egypt, 1200BC

Heraclion, Ancient Egypt, 1200BC

Wikipedia says...

"Heracleion also known by its Egyptian name Thonis ( and sometimes called Thonis-Heracleion, was an ancient Egyptian port city located near the Mouth of the Nile, about 32 km (20 mi) northeast of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea. It became inundated and its remains are located in Abu Qir Bay, currently 2.5 km (off the coast, under 30 ft (9.1 m) of water. The sanctuary of Neith of Sais was located in Thonis. A stele found on the site indicates that late in its history the city was known by both its Egyptian and Greek names]

The legendary beginnings of Thonis go back to as early as the 12th century BC, and it is mentioned by ancient Greek historians. Its importance grew particularly during the waning days of the pharaohs. Thonis is mentioned by many chroniclers in antiquity, including Herodotus, Strabo, and Diodorus. The city was said by Herodotus to have been visited by Paris and Helen of Troy[9] before the Trojan war began.

Thonis was originally built on some adjoining islands in the Nile Delta. It was intersected by canals with a number of harbors and anchorages. Its wharves, temples, and tower-houses were linked by ferries, bridges, and pontoons. The city was an emporion (trading port)[6] and by the Late Period it was the country's main port for international trade and collection of taxes.

Over time, the city was weakened by a combination of earthquakes, tsunamis, and rising sea levels. 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. A few residents stayed on during the Roman era and the beginning of Arab rule, but by the end of the eighth century AD, what was left of the city had sunk beneath the sea."