Heracleion

Heracleion, also known as Thonis in Egyptian and sometimes referred to as Thonis-Heracleion, was an ancient Egyptian port city located near the Canopic Mouth of the Nile, approximately 32 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea. It was swamped, and its remnants are now lying in Abu Qir Bay, 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) off the shore, beneath 30 feet (9.1 meters) of water, near Abukir. Heracleion housed the shrine of Neith of Sais. A stele discovered on the site suggests that the city was known by both its Egyptian and Greek names at some point in its history. Heracleion's legendary beginnings date back to the 12th century BC, and it is recorded by ancient Greek historians. Its significance developed especially during the last days of the pharaohs.

Many antiquity chroniclers, including Herodotus, Strabo, and Diodorus, mention Thonis. According to Herodotus, Paris, and Helen of Troy visited the city before the Trojan War began. They sought safety there in their retreat from the jealous Menelaus, but were turned down by Thonis, the Nile's watchman. A large temple was built on the site where Heracles originally arrived in Egypt, according to Herodotus. The myth of Heracles' arrival led to the Greeks naming the city Heracleion rather than its original Egyptian name Thonis.

Heracleion was initially developed on two adjacent Nile Delta islands. It was crossed by canals that led to a multitude of bays and anchorages. Ferries, bridges, and pontoons connected its wharves, temples, and tower-houses. The city was an emporium (trading port), and by the Late Period, it had become the country's major port for international trade and tax collection. It had a sister city, Naucratis, which was a trading port 72 kilometers (45 miles) up the Nile.

The city was weakened throughout time by a mix of earthquakes, tsunamis, and rising sea levels. The ground on which the center island of Heracleion was built succumbed to soil liquefaction at the end of the second century BC, most likely as a result of a catastrophic flood. The firm clay dissolved quickly, and the buildings fell into the river. A few residents remained during the Roman era and the commencement of Arab domination, but by the end of the seventh century AD, Heracleion had vanished beneath the water.