The legendary city rises from the deep grave

Scientists have recreated a three-dimensional map of a city that is legendary to match Atlantis in the ancient Mediterranean legend.

A real-life version of the legend of Atlantis, the city of Heracleion , which is associated with the name of Cleopatra, has been awakened after a thousand years of lying on the seabed. Heracleion, which saw Queen Cleopatra ascended to the throne, was one of the most important trading centers in the Mediterranean, before it disappeared from the Egyptian coast at what is now Aboukir Bay. Heracleion was discovered in 2001, and after more than a decade of diligent excavation, researchers were finally able to draw a map depicting daily life in the bustling port of ancient times.

Three-dimensional images of the old city were reconstructed after 12 years of excavation - (Photo: Reuters)

For centuries, the name Heracleion existed only in memory and word-of-mouth stories, like the legend that people often refer to when referring to Atlantis. However, 12 years ago, underwater archaeologist Dr. Franck Goddio launched a search project along the Egyptian coast to find French ships sunk during the naval battle in the Nile in the 10th century. 18. The ship's body has not been seen, but instead he was fortunate to discover the missing treasure of the city after nearly 1,200 years.

After removing the layers of sand and mud, divers found evidence of the utopian luxury of the mysterious city dwellers, drawing a picture of the living at Heracleion. Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of more than 64 ships, buried deep in the seabed over 6km from the Egyptian coast. It is also the largest ancient ship group ever found at a location. In addition to the 700 anchors, Dr. Goddio's team also dug up gold coins and weights made of copper and stone, used in ancient tax transactions and calculations.

Recreating giant statues

'This is an excellent conservation warehouse' , The Telegraph quoted Dr. Damian Robinson, Director of Oxford Center for Marine Archeology at Oxford University (UK). He said experts are gathering a very detailed context of ancient activity, as well as the nature of the marine economy at the end of ancient Egypt. The international team also unearthed the remains of the legendary temple of Amun-Gereb, which was built by Queen Cleopatra. Giant statues of up to 5m in height were completely re-installed after being excavated from a depth of 46m, as well as hundreds of small Egyptian god statues. They also found dozens of allegedly containing mummified mummified animals at Amun-Gereb.

It is unclear why the city is buried, but the hypothesis is that the entire city suddenly collapsed into the sea from a height of 4m. In addition to rising sea levels over time, Heracleion has been buried deep in the sea for years.