Thonis-Heracleion (Egyptian and Greek city names) is a city lost between legends and reality. Before the founding of the city of Alexandria in 331 BC, this city was very famous and considered one of the most important cities, to which all ships sailed on the way from Greece to Egypt. It was also of great religious significance, as the temple complex of the god Amun was located here. The king played a significant role in the rituals associated with the continuity of the dynasty. Archaeologists believe that the city was founded around the 8th century BC, underwent various natural disasters, so that in the 8th century AD it ended up at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.

Prior to its rediscovery in 2000 by the IEASM, there was no evidence of its existence. The name of this city was almost erased from the memory of mankind, and awareness of it remained only thanks to ancient classical texts and rare inscriptions discovered by archaeologists.

The Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC) tells us that a huge temple was built here on the site where the famous hero Heracles first entered the mainland on his way to Egypt. He also informs us of the visit of Helena and her beloved Paris, who visited Heracleion before the Trojan Wars. More than four centuries after Herodotus' visit to Egypt, geographer Strabo noted that the city of Heracleion, home to the Temple of Heracles, is located just east of Canopus on one of the branches of the Nile.

With state-of-the-art equipment and a unique approach to discovering and exploring facts, Franck Goddio and his team at IEASM, in collaboration with the Supreme Administrative Council for Egyptian Monuments, were able to identify the area and excavate (underwater) the Thonis-Heracleion fragments. currently is 6,5 kilometers from the current coastline. Fragments of the city are located on an area of ​​11 x 15 kilometers in the western part of Aboukir Bay.

Fanck Goddio was able to obtain information on important clues that helped identify the lost city. An example is the temple of Amun and his son Khonsou (= Heracles to the Greeks), the ports that controlled all overseas trade in Egypt and the daily life of the inhabitants. He also managed to solve a historical mystery that had confused Egyptology for many years: According to archaeological material, Heracleion and Thonis were in fact two names for a single city. Heracleion was a designation used by the Greeks and Thonis by the Egyptians.

The artifacts that have been brought to the surface illustrate the beauty of the city and its glory - the size of its temples and the abundance of historical evidence: huge statues, inscriptions on stones, architectural elements, jewelry and coins, ritual objects, pottery - a civilization frozen in time.

The quantity and quality of the archaeological material found in the Thonis-Heracleion area suggest that the city reached its greatest significance sometime around the 6th to 4th centuries BC. Archaeologists derive this from the large number of coins and pottery that are dated to this time. *

The port of Thonis-Heracleion has many great bays (?) That functioned as a center of international trade. Intensive activity promoted the prosperity of the city. More than seven hundred anchors of different shapes (... ancient anchors of various forms?) And more than 60 wrecks dated to 6. to 2. centuries BC is an eloquent testimony of intense maritime activity.

The city grew around the temple and the network of canals had to give the city a look at the city on the lake. (Apparently, he had a similar concept to Atlantis.) Residential zones and temples were located on the system of islands and islets. Archaeological excavations here have revealed a large amount of important material, including bronze statues. On the north side of the Temple of Heracles, a large moat was discovered, through which water flowed from east to west. It apparently connected a large harbor with a lake in the west.

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*) When they find a lot of flint on the spot, will they claim that the city had a hype in the Stone Age? Absence of evidence is not evidence. The city had to exist and be fully operational before the Great Flood. All contemporary intellectual endeavors get Scams due to some shallow subsoil are quite misleading. The city is currently several tens of meters underwater and a few kilometers from today's coast.