The Lost City of Atlantis, an intriguing mystery that leaves many of us fascinated and curious to learn more and some of us sceptical and dismissive. But what is it about this lost city that leaves so many of us questioning much of what we have been taught to believe? Is there some truth behind the story of Atlantis or after all, is it just folklore?The Lost City of Atlantis was first revealed by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato more than 2,300 years ago and it is known as one of the oldest and greatest mysteries of the world. According to Plato, the utopian island kingdom existed some 9,000 years before his time and strangely vanished one day. Renowned for having been the exhibit of all worldly pleasures in the world, this city is as enigmatic as it is inviting. Even after years of dedicated research, the exact truth about this city has not been discovered and that adds even more to all the myths and legends attached with it.
So what is so fascinating about this city?Around 350 BC, Plato wrote about a beautiful island situated in the Atlantic Ocean that went under the ocean waves in one day and one night. It took two books to describe the history and details of this almost magical island. For years people have been searching for this mysterious lost city. The land was said to have been very fertile with an abundance of food, water, animals, wood and flowers. But as the tale goes, after several generations of ruling, the leaders became increasingly greedy and corrupt and started to wage war on their neighbouring countries. It was shortly after the victory by the Athenians that the entire island continent of Atlantis got submerged beneath the sea. So, did Plato record this as a moralistic story or as a historical account?As a result, the exact of location of Atlantis has been previously questioned by many. Plato’s narrations have suggested that the city is supposed to have sunk into the sea after an earthquake or tsunami.
According to him, the so called Atlantis was a vast island located near the Rock of Gibraltar, and contained a Poseidon temple with concentric walls and canals.While some theories proposed that the Atlantis is located in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Spain, few also argued that it could be even under Antarctica. For a long time, Azores was believed to be the site of the city of Atlantis. However, the new research has revealed a new site and the scientists are sure that Atlantis can be found in Cadiz, somewhere between the Spain and Morocco waters. The extent of truth in this story is really a secret in itself. But until the truth beneath it can be completely unravelled, the world will continue speculating about the existence of the most unfathomable city of all times.Legend states that the Atlantis city was built by Poseidon- the God of Sea, of storms and earthquakes- when he fell in love with a mortal woman named Cleito.
Supposedly he built the city on top of a hill, in an isolated island in the sea, to protect her and titled it Atlantis. According to the story, Poseidon walked through the world in an effort to find the biggest island until he reached the biggest of them all- Atlantis but found it to be inhabited by people who were more beautiful and intelligent than rest of the world. It was then he fell in love with Cleito when he noticed her in the island.While many still contemplate the Lost City of Atlantis as just a legend, there are many conspiracy theories circulating, suggesting that the fable is actually based on real events. Ocean explorer Robert Ballard finds logic in the story as it portrays similarities with a massive volcanic eruption in the island of Santorini near Greece. Ballard says a highly advanced society that lived there disappeared suddenly as occurred with the Atlantis.
Similarly, Ignatius Donnelly also confirms the existence and disappearance of a mid-Atlantic continent that was in the exact location that Plato mentioned.
