​5 lost cities that are believed to be underwater​

Nature has its best and worst ways of proving its dominance over the people living in it-sometimes decking up a mundane city with every form of prosperity one could ever imagine, and sometimes doing the exact opposite, completely shattering the existence of the whole city in every possible way. Roads once lined with roadside temples, shopkeepers calling out, buildings, and schools-everything-can disappear within a few days. Not only in mythological stories, but also in real life. Here are 5 such cities that once were just like any other ‘normal’ city, but today are vanished from the map.

Dating back thousands of years, the city is prominently featured in Hindu scriptures like the Mahabharata, where it's described as a grand city built by Lord Krishna, making it known as ‘The city of Krishna’. There are debates where some believe it was a divine act, with the city sinking as a consequence of Lord Krishna’s death. However, others suggest natural causes, such as earthquakes or rising sea levels is the reason for the city's submergence. Archaeological studies in the region have uncovered evidence of ancient well planned settlements along the coast, which some believe that these findings are associated with the descriptions of Dwarka while others just relate them to be lost historical artifacts.

In any conversation regarding ‘lost city’, Atlantis comes as one of the top names. While its existence remains unproven, the legend of Atlantis is often cited as the ultimate lost underwater city, inspiring searches and stories worldwide. The most widely accepted account mentions that the city of Atlantis is a fictional island nation mentioned in the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato. According to Plato’s account, the futuristic Atlantic Ocean-based civilization of Atlantis fell thousands of years ago, swallowed by the sea.

These two ancient port cities sank over 2,000 years ago near the Nile delta, with ruins consisting of temples, shipwrecks, and artifacts. Thonis-Heracleion, also known as Heracleion, served as a vital port city and a major center for trade and religious activities, connecting Egypt with the Mediterranean world. Although Thonis-Heracleion got featured in many great chroniclers of antiquity, from Herodotus to Strabo and Diodorus, most detailed knowledge of their existence was feared to have been permanently lost.

Pavlopetri, which simply means ‘Paul’s stone’ , located off the coast of southern Greece. This is the oldest known underwater city in the world, dating back around 5,000 years to the Bronze Age (about 2800 BC). It was discovered in 1967 by Nicholas Flemming when unusual shapes on the seabed were identified as streets, buildings, and tombs of a fully planned ancient town. Dr Jon Henderson, associate professor of underwater archaeology at the University of Nottingham, said in 2009 in a report published by Greek City Times : “There is now no doubt that this is the oldest submerged town in the world,”.
Scientists believe Pavlopetri was submerged after a series of earthquakes around 1000 BC caused the land to sink. Because it has remained underwater and untouched by any sort of later construction or farming, its layout till today has stayed nearly intact, making it incredibly valuable for understanding ancient urban life.

Compared to the previous ones, this is the most recent underwater city . Villa Epecuén once used to be a lively resort town founded in the 1920s in Argentina beside the salty Laguna Epecuén, Mostly famous for its healing waters that attracted thousands of visitors seeking treatment for skin and rheumatological conditions. After getting approval from the health professionals, the town grew over the years with hotels, shops, and rail connections, reaching its peak population of around 1,500 residents by the 1970s. But the once-bustling tourist town was suddenly flooded in the 1980s, the unusually heavy rainfall caused the water in Lago Epecuén to rise dramatically, submerging the entire town under salty water up to 10 meters deep. Villa Epecuén was submerged underwater for nearly 25 years, turning into a ghost town with eerie salt-covered ruins of buildings, cars, and trees. Beginning around 2009, the water level slowly started decreasing, revealing the skeletal remains of the once-thriving town.