The city of Thonois, or Heracleion as the Greeks called it, was once a flourishing port and religious center for ancient Egypt. It was the gateway to the Nile Delta, where the pharaohs received tribute and taxes from foreign lands. It was also a place of cultural exchange, where Egyptian and Greek traditions mingled and influenced each other.
But the city's glory was short-lived, as it succumbed to a series of natural disasters that submerged it under water between the 8th and 12th centuries AD. The city was forgotten by history, until it was rediscovered by a team of underwater archaeologists in 2000, in the Abu Qir Bay, about 32 km (20 mi) northeast of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea.
The Egyptian city named Thonois, also known as Heracleion to the Greeks, was discovered under water in the Abu Qir Bay, about 32 km (20 mi) northeast of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea1. It was discovered by a team of underwater archaeologists led by Franck Goddio in 2000, after a four-year geophysical survey2. The city was submerged by a series of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tidal waves, and soil liquefaction, between the 8th and 12th centuries AD3. The archaeologists have found many artifacts and monuments from the city, such as statues, temples, coins, jewelry, pottery, and ships4. Thonois was a major port and religious center for ancient Egypt, especially during the Late Period and the Ptolemaic era1. It was also a hub for trade and cultural exchange between Egypt and Greece.
The archaeologists, led by Franck Goddio, spent four years conducting a geophysical survey of the bay, using sophisticated technology such as sonar, magnetometers, and satellite imagery. They mapped out an area of about 11 sq km (4.2 sq mi), where they found the remains of the city, along with several other ancient settlements and shipwrecks.
The archaeologists have since recovered thousands of artifacts and monuments from the city, which reveal its rich and diverse history. They have found colossal statues of pharaohs, gods, and goddesses, some of them over 5 m (16 ft) tall. They have found temples dedicated to Amun, Osiris, and Isis, as well as a shrine to Heracles, the Greek hero who gave the city its name. They have found coins, jewelry, pottery, and inscriptions, that attest to the city's economic and political importance. They have also found ships, both Egyptian and Greek, that carried goods and people across the Mediterranean.
The city of Thonois was a unique example of how two different civilizations coexisted and interacted in ancient times. It was a place where the Egyptian and Greek cultures blended and enriched each other, creating a hybrid identity that was both distinct and diverse. It was also a place where the natural and human forces shaped and reshaped the landscape, leaving behind a sunken treasure of ancient Egypt.
