Exploring the hidden history of sunken sites.
Diver exploring a sunken city. Linnaea Mallette. CC0 1.0
Although travel traditionally highlights cultural landmarks, distinctive experiences, and historical sites on land, much history lies where our eyes alone cannot take us – particularly under the sea. Underwater cities and towns which have been immersed in the soaking abyss of seas, lakes, and reservoirs through natural disaster or human shenanigans provide a time capsule into the defining characteristics of their era. The corpse of the city including its many artifacts can be explored through diving and even glass bottom boats. Here are seven of the most intriguing sunken cities to visit around the world.
1. Baiae, Italy
Emperor Claudius; nymphaeum submerged in Baiae, Italy. Ruthven. CC0 1.0
The ancient Roman town of Baiae overflowed with luxuries in its time: Roman elites built villas and spas fed its famous hot springs, and palace parties proliferated. That is, until an army of the Muslim Caliphate army sacked the resort city in the 8th century. By 1500, the luxuries had faded away and the town was left abandoned. The volcanic vents that had once been the joy of Roman bathers led to a steadily increasing water level and eventually, the majestic city was submerged. Now, the once-present luxuries of the city–its marble statues, mosaics, sculptures–can be viewed through glass bottomed boats and on snorkeling or scuba diving tours.
2. San Roma de Sau, Spain
The half-submerged church of San Roma de Sau. Josep Bracons. CC BY-SA 2.0
All that remains to be seen of San Roma de Sau, a thousand year old village in Catalonia, is the spire of its Medieval Romanesque church. The church, now reemerging due to drought and low water levels in Spain, reminds visitors of the artificial flood in the 1960s that sank the lightly populated town. The Catalonian government’s decision to create a reservoir forced the townspeople to leave their land, taking their valuables and their dead with them. The reservoir’s beginning led inevitably to the end of San Roma de Sau.
3. Dwarka, India
The Dwarka lighthouse on the coast of Gujarat India overlooks the submerged city of Dwarka. VasuVR. CC BY-SA 4.0
Known as “India’s Atlantis,” Dwarka is not only an intriguing travel spot, but also a religious relic. This ancient sunken city located in modern-day Gujarat appears in the Mahabharata as Krishna’s city; the city supposedly sunk in the Arabian sea after Krishna’s death according to the text. 20th century marine archaeological explorations proved its existence outside of literary myth and have uncovered stone anchors, pillars, bastions, pottery, inscriptions, stone sculptures, as well as bronze, copper, and iron objects in Dwarka. Visitors can dive off the coast of Beyt Dwarka, a neighboring island, to view the submerged city.
4. Shi Cheng, China
A sunken artifact in Shi Cheng. Nihaopaul. CC BY-SA 3.0
Shi Cheng, much like many other of the sunken cities on this list, was flooded deliberately. The ancient city was the casualty of a 1959 hydroelectric dam and consequent artificial lake, , which now envelops and obscures this “Atlantis of the East.” Located 40m under Qiandao Lake, Shi Cheng offers a snapshot of Imperial China. The city brims with stone architecture of the Ming and Qing dynasties; stonework of lions ( fitting, as the city’s name means “lion city” in Mandarin), dragons, phoenixes, and historical inscriptions lay within the five entrance gates of the sunken city.
5. Port Royal, Jamaica
An image of Port Royal before the city was sunk. Wellcome Library, London. CC BY 4.0
The 1692 7.5 magnitude earthquake that submerged Port Royal did nothing to erase its rich history. The town, captured by the British from Spain in 1655, became the center of English life in Jamaica. The Englishmen brought the slave trade to the region, as well as an abundance of merchant and artisan activity. The town also possessed a strong scene for sex workers and pirates. Now, the submerged town still maintains its buildings and artifacts like skillets, pots, barrels, ceramics, and a pocket watch found by Edward Link in 1950–all underwater. Travelers can explore the 40 feet deep city through diving.
6. Thonis-Heracleion, Egypt
Thonis Heracleion. Courtesy of Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Founded around the 8th century BC, Thonis-Heracleion was a distinguished city, one of great importance especially for merchants who frequently passed through the port to enter Egypt. The liquefaction of the city’s clay soil and ultimately the city itself resulted from various natural disasters including an earthquake, tsunami, rising sea levels, and subsidence. As a consequence of these catastrophes, the city eventually collapsed into the surrounding water. Much of the city’s culture and lifestyle remain preserved in watery depths, however. Temples, colossal statues - the most famous being the 5.4 meter tall God of Hapy - inscriptions, jewelry, coins, ritual objects, ceramics, goblets, and the sarcophagi of animals all endure, frozen in time.
7. Potosi, Venezuela
Underwater church of Potosi. Juan Tello. CC BY 2.0
Much like San Roma de Sau, only a part of a gothic church spire juts out from the underwater city of Potosi. The waters of the Uribante Reservoir flooded the town in 1985; the Venezuelan government hoped that a hydroelectric dam could replace the 1200 residents of the town. Houses and churches were abandoned in 1985 for the scheduled flooding. Yet, the gothic church of Potosi has re-emerged due to severe droughts in Venezuela, most probably a result of the natural disaster, El Niño. 30 years after the flooding of the city, its church’s structure has been uncovered.
Su Ertekin-Taner
Su Ertekin-Taner is a first year student at Columbia University majoring in creative writing. Her love for the power of words and her connection to her Turkish roots spills into her satire, flash fiction, and journalistic pieces among other genres. Su hopes to continue writing fearless journalism, untold stories, and prose inspired by her surroundings.