Real Life Atlantis: 3 Underwater Cities that You Should Put in Your Travel List

Building near rivers, lakes, and springs provided early settlers with clean water for home and agricultural purposes and a consistent food source in the form of fish. Traveling by boat also became a convenient means to swiftly travel the land, allowing our species to expand its range.

However, the waterfront is not necessarily a secure location. With minimal protection from flooding, natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, and harsh weather, and rising sea levels, what took hundreds of years to create can be destroyed in a day. In addition, water has the ability to seize land, structures, and human lives. Here, we take a look at some of the civilizations that have vanished beneath the waves.

Here are three sunken cities that are considered as real-life Atlantis:

Lion City, China (1959)

This region, which is today known as the Drowned Land of Saeftinghe, was once a thriving community. People drained the marsh in the 13th century to build on the fertile land; they also built dikes to protect the reclaimed area from flooding.

The All Saints' Flood of 1570 wiped off most of the area near Saeftinghe, but the 80 Years' War in 1584 dealt the last blow. According to Het Zeeuwse Landschap, the official site of the area, Dutch forces battling for independence from the Spanish were forced to collapse the final dike barrier while defending Antwerp, causing the Scheldt to take over the town.

On the other hand, a local tradition attributes the 1570 deluge to the fury of a mermaid held prisoner by the townspeople. The village is now buried underneath layers of sand and clay, while bricks from an abbey that was flooded have been discovered.

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