11 abandoned underwater sites and the history behind them

Fabbriche di Careggine dates back to the 13th century, but was abandoned in 1947 when a dam constructed on the Edron river flooded the town.

The lake has been drained four times since then, and Lonely Planet reported that the lake could be drained again in 2021 to reveal the ruins and boost tourism to the area.

The "Lion City" sits around 130 feet under water, and is sometimes referred to as "China's Atlantis of the East."

The over 1,340-year-old city named for Wu Shi Mountain has been underwater since the construction of the Xin'an River Hydropower Station in 1959 — 300,000 people had to be relocated. The water has helped protect it from environmental erosion, leaving its 265 arches, five city gates, and ornamental carvings, which date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, almost perfectly preserved.

The 300 people who lived in the small village of Vilarinho das Furnas, a town whose history goes back 2,000 years, had to move due to the construction of a dam in 1967 that flooded the area. When the water levels drop in the summertime, parts of doors and windows can still be seen.

The first cell at Rummu Prison was built in 1949, according to Atlas Obscura. Inmates at the Soviet Union-built prison were forced to work in the surrounding limestone quarry for 12 hours a day, The Daily Mail reports. It was abandoned after the fall of the Soviet Union and flooded by groundwater shortly thereafter. The building still stands, partially visible, in the lake. The leftover debris, including barbed wire and machinery, make exploring it a dangerous dive.

Marine biologist Gil Koplovitz discovered an abandoned underwater strip club off the coast of Eilat, Israel. Koplovitz told The Huffington Post in 2013 that the club used to be accessible via a 230-foot bridge and a flight of stairs that allowed visitors to enter the building without touching the water. The poles in the empty bar area are still standing. Why it was abandoned remains a mystery.

A team of French archaeologists found 64 ships, 700 anchors, 16-foot statues, and gold coins off the coast of Alexandria from the ancient Egyptian city of Herakleion. The artifacts dated back 2,300 years. What was once a powerful port city sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean due to an earthquake over 1,000 years ago.

According to AP News, Port Royal was known as the "wickedest city on Earth" 300 years ago, notorious for its rum, pirates, and prostitutes.

An earthquake destroyed most of the city in 1692, but what's left of it beneath 40 feet of water has been designated a National Heritage Site.

In 1950, a power company merged two natural lakes to create one large one, forcing the town of Curon's 150 residents to relocate, according to Italy Magazine. The Tower of Curon is all that remains above water. Its bells were removed in 1950, but some people claim they can still hear them ring.

The only remnant of the small settlement of Mediano is the top of a 16th-century church tower that sticks out of the water. The valley was flooded in 1974 to create a reservoir.

The St. Lawrence Seaway was created to link the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River with the Atlantic Ocean. In order to build the canals, 6,500 people from nine small towns had to be relocated in order to create an artificial lake, Lake St. Lawrence.

The towns were flooded on July 1, 1958. Now buried underwater, they are known as "The Lost Villages."

Archaeologists discovered ceramic artifacts dating back 5,000 years ago to the Final Neolithic (4500-3200 BC). Their findings indicate that the Mycenaean town was once a maritime settlement and trade center.

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