The city of Heracleion was swallowed by the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt almost 1,200 years ago. It was one of the most important commercial centers in the Mediterranean before sinking more than a millennium ago. For centuries, the existence of Heracleion was believed to be a myth, much like the city of Atlantis is considered today. However, in the year 2000, underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio finally found the sunken city after extensive underwater research in present-day Aboukir Bay.

Before this modern discovery, Heracleion had been all but forgotten, relegated to a handful of inscriptions and praise in ancient texts by the likes of Strabo and Diodorus. The Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC) writes of a great temple that was built where the mythical hero Heracles (or Heracles) first set foot in Egypt. He also claimed that Helen of Troy and Paris visited the city before their famous Trojan War.

Furthermore, according to Herodotus’ account of Helen’s visit to Egypt, the Greek geographer Strabo noted that the city of Heracleion was located east of Canopus, at the mouth of the Nile River.

Franck Goddio, founder of the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology, and his team discovered the lost city of Heracleion off the coast of Egypt.

Known as “a pioneer of modern maritime archaeology”, Goddio founded the European Institute of Underwater Archeology (IEASM) in 1987, with the aim of exploring and researching underwater archaeological sites. The IEASM is known for having developed a systematic approach, using geophysical prospecting techniques at underwater archaeological sites. By scanning the area in parallel straight lines at regular intervals, the team can identify anomalies in the seabed, which can then be further explored by divers or robots.