Once only believed to be a myth, the lost Egyptian City of Thonis, or Heracleion, was discovered by French archaelogist Franck Goddio in the year 2000. Ancient rumors surrounded this once-magnificent underwater city – apparently before the Trojan War, Helen of Troy was stranded there …. and it was named Heracleion beacause Hercules visited the city. Ancient historians including Herodotus, Diodorus, and Strabo also mentioned the place but until it was discovered scholars weren’t even sure if Heracleion and Thonis were the same city.
It turns out that Thonis has been around since 12th century BC – and that all ships coming from the Greek world had to enter Egypt through its port. Located near Alexandria, Heracleion is about 11 km by 15 km and contains a bounty of ancient booty including over 60 buried ships, gold coins, large statues, Greek and Egyptian stone inscriptions, over 700 ship anchors, and small limestone sarcophagi believed to be for animals.
Photos and video below, read more about Thonis/Heracleion here http://www.franckgoddio.org/projects/sunken-civilizations/heracleion.html
