Legendary ancient cities lie submerged beneath the sea.

"The Sin City" Port Royal, Jamaica

Built in 1518 with four forts and 2,000 buildings, Port Royal was a bustling commercial center of the Caribbean and the seat of British government in Jamaica. In the 17th century, Port Royal was one of the world's most notorious "sin cities," known for its nightly revelry. Famous pirates like Blackbeard often used Port Royal as a base to raid cargo ships. In 1692, a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami to engulf this once-thriving port city, killing over 2,000 people. Legend says this was nature's punishment for the city's sins.

Now, while diving to depths of over 12 meters, admiring structures that evoke the beauty of the past, visitors can encounter many researchers still trying to uncover the mysteries of Port Royal. If you're lucky, you might even find pirate treasures left behind here...

Shicheng - China's Atlantic

Thousand Islands Lake, with its numerous islands of varying sizes, is a popular tourist destination thanks to its majestic natural scenery. Even more remarkably, hidden beneath the lake lies a vast, ancient city with magnificent and mysterious architecture that has existed for over a thousand years.

The ancient city nestled deep beneath Thousand Island Lake, known as Shicheng, is located in Shun'an, Zhejiang, and dates back to the 2nd century during the Eastern Han Dynasty. This ancient city, built during the Han Dynasty, spans an area equivalent to 62 football fields.

Shicheng had a history spanning over 1,300 years before being submerged beneath the waters of Qiandao Lake in 1959, when the government began constructing the lake to supply water to a hydroelectric power station on the Xi'an River. Since then, the magnificent Shicheng, with its ancient structures such as fortifications, houses, temples, and streets, has been buried deep at the bottom of the lake.

In 2001, scientists with modern equipment gradually carried out expeditions and research on Lion City. According to published findings, the ancient city was built with surrounding walls and had four gates for access. Inside the city were streets, houses, and a large tower located in the center. In addition, the houses often featured lion statues and intricately carved dragon sculptures, exuding a mystical beauty. These cultural values ​​attract many tourists.

To this day, researchers have been unable to fully unravel the mystery surrounding this construction, but Shicheng, considered the "Atlantis of China," has become one of the most popular tourist destinations.

Today, Shicheng has largely retained its original appearance before being submerged, with almost no damage from the water. Zhejiang Province is implementing an underwater tourism project to attract more tourists to visit and explore.

Dwarka, India

According to folklore, the ancient city of Dwarka is believed to be the home of the god Krishna (the eighth incarnation of Vishnu), with nearly 70,000 palaces made of gold, silver, precious stones, and other valuable building materials. The wealth of Dwarka was maintained until Krishna's death. The ruins of this legendary land, discovered in 2000, lie deep beneath the ocean floor in the Bay of Cambay (also known as Khambhat), Dwarka city, Gujarat state, western India. Scientists believe Dwarka sank to the bottom of the sea after a powerful earthquake, as the area is located in a high-risk earthquake zone.

The ruins, spread across 9 km along the banks of an ancient river, belong to a dam the size of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a collapsed staircase reminiscent of the large baths of Mohenjo-Daro from the Ganges civilization, along with numerous foundations of houses, drainage systems, roads, tools, decorations, fragments of semi-precious stones, ivory, and more.

Dwarka is considered a treasure trove of archaeological value, attracting researchers and explorers interested in its history and the lives of its ancient inhabitants. Studies suggest the ancient city of Dwarka was built and completed between 9,000 and 12,000 years ago, estimated to be during the reign of King Pallava in the 7th century BC. Today, the Dwarka archaeological site continues to attract many archaeologists and tourists alike.

Yonaguni Jima Pyramid, Japan

Are the Yonaguni Jima pyramids in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, dating back to 10,000 BC, a creation of man or nature? For many years, experts around the world have engaged in endless debates, disagreeing on the origin of this underwater city. They have only come to the conclusion that these structures were created during the last ice age, around 10,000 BC.

In 1985, Kihachiro Aratake, a diving tour organizer, decided to investigate the rumors circulating among local fishermen about a submerged palace deep beneath the waters off the southern tip of Yonaguni Island. He discovered several sandstone slabs, 75 meters long and 25 meters high, lying at a depth of 10 meters, about 40 kilometers from the coast. These slabs closely resembled the pyramids of Native Americans or the multi-tiered temple structures found in Babylon.

After the discovery, Kihachiro Aratake notified the local authorities, beginning to attract archaeologists to study Yonaguni. Accordingly, this ancient site is believed to be the remains of an ancient civilization from the Stone Age, when humans still used stone tools and hieroglyphic writing.

By participating in diving expeditions in Yonaguni, visitors can admire coral reefs, observe diverse and colorful marine life, and explore the Yonaguni Jima pyramid area with its pathways and staircases... reminiscent of a magnificent palace or temple from the past.

After diving to a depth of 10 meters, visitors will encounter rock formations carved into steps with sharp, square edges. Viewed from above, Yonaguni resembles the foundations of the Egyptian pyramids. Surrounding it are pathways formed by layers of rock. Currently, the ancient Yonaguni site is still being studied by scientists who are trying to decipher its mysteries.

Antirhodos - part of Alexandria, Egypt

The submerged city of Antirhodos is known as part of present-day Alexandria in Egypt. Antirhodos was discovered by archaeologists in 1998 following studies of a submerged section of Alexandria. Over 140 artifacts collected from the excavations reveal a glorious past of Egyptian civilization. Archaeologists say they discovered Cleopatra's tomb within the submerged Temple of Isis, along with other structures.

According to archaeologists, the city of Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC on the eastern coast of Egypt. From its inception, Alexandria quickly became one of the most prosperous cities in Egypt and the Mediterranean region. The city boasted modern architecture, including residential areas, magnificent buildings, the palace of Queen Cleopatra and her lovers, the Temple of Isis, and the Library of Serapis. Most notably, the Lighthouse of Alexandria is well-known, one of the seven wonders of ancient civilization.

According to historians, earthquakes and tsunamis more than 1,500 years ago caused parts of the ancient city of Alexandria to sink deep into the sea. Over time, the ancient land of Egypt was forgotten beneath the ocean until the 19th century, when scientists began to study and research ancient Egypt and Queen Cleopatra in depth.

Today, when diving and exploring Antirhodos, you can easily see bronze statues of famous ancient figures as well as remnants of Cleopatra's palace and the Temple of Isis, all of which hold significant historical value. According to tourism professionals, this area will become a popular diving destination in the future, as many artifacts remain intact despite their age underwater.

Recently, the Egyptian authorities have planned to transform this ancient city into a museum, and tourism activities there are also being promoted.

Pavlopetri, Greece

Just by diving to a depth of about 4 meters between Pouda Beach and Pavlopetri Island in Laconia, southeastern Peloponnese, Greece, you can see the houses, streets, squares, and even a relatively intact cemetery of the Bronze Age port city of Pavlopetri lying silently beneath the water.

Pavlopetri was discovered by Nicholas Fleming in 1967. No one knew the city's original name. Pavlopetri is the name later given to the ancient city. Archaeologists believe it was part of the Minoan dynasty that was destroyed by an earthquake. The ancient city of Pavlopetri was once one of the most prosperous cities in the Mediterranean, built in a modern architectural style almost identical to today's, with its distinct streets, residential areas, and Romanesque temples.

According to them, Pavlopetri was apparently abandoned in the 8th century due to rising sea levels and is the oldest submerged city in the world, with artifacts dating back at least 2,800 years BC. Currently, Pavlopetri is a UNESCO underwater cultural heritage site. Therefore, the city still protects and preserves it in accordance with regulations. Today, the city of Peloponnese also opens its doors to tourists to visit and explore the ancient Pavlopetri site.

Baiae, Italy

The ancient city of Baiae was once known as the Las Vegas of the ancient Roman Empire. Located off the coast of the Bay of Naples, Italy, and approximately 240 km from Rome, Baiae was founded around the beginning of the 7th century BC and featured numerous castles, entertainment areas, and bustling streets. Notably, historical records indicate that many famous figures from antiquity, such as Caesar the Great, Nero the Tyrant, and Cicero, visited Baiae, demonstrating its superiority over Capri, Pompeii, and Herculaneum as a resort city for the Roman aristocracy.

Baiae's heyday ended in the 8th century when the Saracens occupied the area, leaving it deserted. After several earthquakes caused by volcanic activity, Baiae sank deep into the Bay of Naples.

Today, not many remnants of the ancient city of Baiae remain underwater, but they still attract a large number of tourists. Visitors can easily spot some of the Roman columns of the castle and the intricately patterned cobblestone streets from their boats on clear days. Countless other relics, such as statues dating back to the 1st century BC and everyday objects of the ancient inhabitants, are found just a few meters below the surface.

As visitors dive deeper, they can admire statues depicting gods, including those of Ulysses and Octavia Claudia, sister of Emperor Claudius, which are almost perfectly preserved. These sculptures are replicas of statues found on the ocean floor and are part of the artifacts displayed at the Campania Archaeological Administration.

The underwater city tour is now being offered to tourists by local travel companies.

Ha Le