Since ancient times, people have tried to settle near water - on the shores of oceans, seas and rivers. Large water made it possible to travel long distances on rafts and boats, promoted the development of trade relations, and it also became the reason for the appearance of the top incredible underwater cities presented to your attention.
In fact, there are much more settlements that, for some reason, are under water. Many flooded cities have long been known and turned into tourist sites, others are just waiting to be discovered.
Some settlements went under water as a result of natural disasters - volcanic eruptions or earthquakes that raised tsunamis. Others were deliberately flooded by man himself during the construction of hydroelectric power plants, dams and canals. It was simply cheaper and easier to destroy the existing cities than to change the developed projects for the construction of new facilities important for the economy.
What value are flooded cities? They are interesting for historians and archaeologists, as they can tell a lot about the life of their former inhabitants. And ordinary tourists do not miss the opportunity to stroll along the streets long covered with water column and look into the openings of abandoned houses, and maybe even take fantastic photos.
Yonaguni, Japan
Yonaguni is an underwater complex discovered off the coast of the island of the same name, which is part of the Ryukyu archipelago in Japan. Strange structures under water, reminiscent of pyramids, were found by a Japanese diver in 1986. A scuba diving instructor was looking for a place to swim in company with hammerhead sharks, and noticed a city that was later called the "Japanese Atlantis."
Scientists are still arguing over who could have created such buildings. Some believe that even-edged breaches, stepped terraces and strange sculptures are the result of tectonic plate shears. Others are sure that this is the work of a person. There is a version that the city of Yonaguni was built about 10 thousand years ago by representatives of the Mu civilization. He probably went under water due to earthquakes.
The area of the underwater city is 45 thousand square meters. Near the pyramids at the bottom of the sea, you can see 5 religious buildings, the remains of a palace and a stadium.
Atlit Yam, Israel
In 1984, scientist Ehud Galili discovered the remains of an ancient city called Atlit Yam off the coast of the village of Atlit in Israel. The find immediately became a sensation. A city covering an area of 40 thousand square meters. m, was founded in the 7th millennium BC. NS.
Historians suggest that the cause of its flooding was a powerful tsunami, which was preceded by a volcanic eruption. Water has become an excellent preservative that has preserved many interesting artifacts to this day. In Atlit-Yam were found:
- residential buildings and tombs;
- a freshwater spring surrounded by 7 slabs and probably used for religious rites;
- wells;
- remains of about 100 plant species;
- two human skeletons, the owners of which suffered from tuberculosis.
Pavlopetri, Greece
The ancient Greek town of Pavlopetri was founded in 2800 BC. NS. Around 1000 BC. NS. due to several strong earthquakes, it sank under water and was rediscovered only in 1967-1968 by explorer Nicholas Flemming. For a long time, the Greek authorities did not allow archaeologists to visit the flooded city. And only in our time, the Greeks, together with the British, organized an expedition to him.
Pavlopetri is considered one of the oldest flooded settlements in the Mediterranean. Due to the fact that the city has remained unknown to treasure seekers for thousands of years, most of the infrastructure has survived here. We can still see streets lined with residential buildings, temples, tombs, closed courtyards, squares and statues. All this is carefully mapped. The area of the city is about 30 thousand square meters.
You need to look for Pavlopetri at a depth of 3 meters off the coast of the island of the same name near Cape Punda.
Port Royal, Jamaica
Founded by corsairs in the early 16th century, Port Royal in Jamaica was one of the largest cities in the Caribbean for over a century. Foreign speech was constantly heard here, slavers offered live goods, pirates from all over the world played dice and drank in taverns.
The European powers, in turn, considered this settlement as a convenient trading platform, which contributed to its development and prosperity. The end of Port Royal's carefree life came in 1692, when Jamaica shook with a violent earthquake. The city was built on sand, so whole streets, along with their inhabitants, in the blink of an eye slipped under the water.
In addition to buildings, some pirate caravels with all their cargo were also flooded.
Exploration of Port Royal began in the middle of the last century. Underwater archaeologists have unearthed historical artifacts from the bottom of the sea that provide insight into the life of the populous 17th century Caribbean city. Now the flooded Port Royal is open to tourists.
Lost Villages, Canada
Lost villages are 10 villages that went under water during the construction of a waterway that connected the Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes in Canada. The system of new canals, built in the middle of the 20th century, was named the "St. Lawrence Seaway". It took 5 years to develop and build it.
On the way of the builders there were 11 villages, which they decided to donate. Their inhabitants, and this is about 6 thousand people, after long negotiations and monetary compensation were relocated to other cities. Only one village was defended. He was simply moved to a new location, away from the big water.
On July 1, 1958, the dam was destroyed, and water gushed out, flooding everything in its path. After 4 days, 10 settlements with streets, houses, temples and cemeteries were at the bottom of the canals. They say that one of the submerged settlements was founded by the indigenous people of Canada 3500 years ago.
Divers often dive here to see the underwater villages. When the water level in the canals drops, some buildings are visible even from the shore.
