A long-lost city swallowed by the sea more than 2,000 years ago is once again making headlines after archaeologists uncovered dazzling treasures, including gold jewellery, silver ritual objects and the remains of a forgotten Greek temple hidden beneath the waters off Egypt’s coast.
Resting nearly 7 kilometres offshore in Abu Qir Bay, the ancient city of Thonis-Heracleion was once Egypt’s busiest gateway to the Mediterranean. Before the rise of Alexandria, every merchant ship entering Egypt passed through this bustling port. Then disaster struck. A series of earthquakes, tidal waves and rising sea levels caused the ground beneath the city to collapse, dragging temples, homes and treasures into the sea.
