Lost beneath the waves, or partly submerged, the depths of the oceans are lined with sunken cities, flooded crypts, drowned forests, and structures. While some are completely submerged, others are partially waterlogged. These drowned cities hold myths and secrets of the deep. Here’s a glimpse of this sunken world lost to watery wreckages.
Lion City, China
Renowned for sitting at the bottom, Qiandao Lake, Shicheng, otherwise known as Lion City, is the ‘Atlantis of the East’. But unlike this fictional Greek city, Shicheng was flooded purposely. Built during the reign of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it lies at the foot of Wu Shi mountain. What once served as the centre for politics and economics was eventually flooded in 1959 to make way for a new hydroelectric power station. Nearly 300,000 people were forced to relocate. In 2001, archaeologists found the ruins of the ancient city. Interestingly, most of the carvings are still in pristine condition.
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Villa Epecuén, Argentina
Home to 2,000 people and 20,000 tourists annually, Villa Epecuen, a small ghost town in Argentina, has spent decades under water. The town was flooded by Lake Epecuén nearly 35 years ago. In 2009, the waters finally started to recede, revealing the remains of what was once a popular retreat for vacationers in Buenos Aires. The delightful mountain lake was known for its water, which was saltier than any ocean. Today what remains at the site are naked trees, dilapidated buildings and remnants of a once thriving vacation town.
Potosi, Venezuela
Another town church flooded to make way for a dam, Potosi in Venezuela’s Tachira state, has been underwater since the 80s. With approximately 1,600 residents, the Venezulean government deliberately flooded the town of Potosi to build a hydroelectric dam. After being submerged for nearly three decades, this small town has finally resurfaced. Today, only a cross on the top of the church steeple is visible above the surface of the water.
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Port Royal, Jamaica
What was once tagged as the ‘wickedest city in the world’, is today just a sleepy town located at the mouth of Kingston Harbour. In the 17th century, this town housed the real pirates of the Caribbean. It was engulfed in June 1692 in a tidal wave. Overrun with liquor, slavers, and prostitutes, when the tidal waves began to rise over the city walls, the brothels started to collapse and it is believed that the earth beneath the ‘sin city’ began to shake.
Sant Romà de Sau, Spain
Submerged in the 1960's, this 1,000-year-old Romanesque village once stood in the Sau Valley of Catalonia, Spain. Back in the day, the Catalonian government decided to create a reservoir on the site, forcing the inhabitants to flee the village. Eventually, the construction of the reservoir resulted in the complete submersion of Sant Romà de Sau. Today, only the village church is visible above the waterline and occasionally when the water level rises, it's only the tiny spire on top that can be seen. This ghost town has lured many tourists over the decades. A few fortunate ones have also been able to catch a glimpse of the ghost town as it eerily emerges when the water level recedes.
