Floods reveal long-lost parts of ancient city for first time in thousands of years

Ruins of an ancient city that had been buried for centuries have been discovered after flooding devastated a nearby town and washed away the debris hiding the former settlement

By Lizzie McAllister
News reporter
19:33, 3 OCT 2023



The ruins were found in Cyrene, near the Libyan city of Derna (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Ruins of an ancient Greek city have been found after flooding washed away the earth covering the former settlement.

The old buildings were uncovered at the archaeological site of Cyrene, Libya, after the area was devastated by torrential downpours from Storm Daniel. The rain caused two dams close to the nearby city of Derna to burst their banks, killing nearly 11,000 people and washing away much of the debris that had been hiding the structures.

The ancient city was founded on Libya's Mediterranean coast in 631 BC by settlers from the Greek island of Thera in the Aegean Sea. It was one of the most significant cities during the 4th century BC and was then taken over by Romans before it was hit by an earthquake.

After being abandoned the ancient city was rediscovered in the 18th century before being made a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some of its most important landmarks include baths, temples, monuments to the Greek gods and an amphitheater.



The ruins have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site for some time (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

More:
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/floods-reveal-long-lost-parts-31095567