It turns out that there is still no clear understanding of how the Mediterranean Sea appeared. But there are many mysteries and theories, the realism of which directly depends on how this sea was formed. After all, the Mediterranean Sea is considered the cradle of civilizations for a reason.
If we rely on the theory of the existence of once two large continents - Laurasia and Gondwana - then the Mediterranean Sea can be considered the "heir" of the Tethys Ocean, which washed both continents from the east. Just like the Marmara, Black and Azov Seas - all of them are now considered parts of the Mediterranean Sea basin. Initially, after the collapse of two continents, it was one large sea sandwiched between the formed continents - Eurasia and Africa.
Formally, science now divides the life of the Mediterranean Sea and the Tethys Ocean into several periods, within which they even have different names. It is important to understand that at some point the waters of this giant flooded the entire region "from Paris to Altai", and at another moment - the sea was essentially a desert with a small number of lakes. There was also something in between, close to the current state, but excellent - with different outlines of the coast, with a different set of islands and even a different number of inland seas.
Find in the city of Heraklion at the mouth of the Nile.
Inside the Mediterranean Sea, several seas are now distinguished - for example, the Adriatic, Cretan or Cyprus. So one of the theories says that earlier there was also the Atlantic Sea, so called on the same principle as the Cretan and Cyprus - because of the proximity of the island with the name Atlantis.
Logical comparisons lead the supporters of this idea to the conclusion that Atlantis, described by Plato, was approximately between the current islands of Crete and Cyprus, closer to the mouth of the Nile. By the way, here studies of the city of Heraklion found under water were carried out (and the connection with the Pillars of Hercules is visible - more on this below) - and the finds were very indicative, even suggestions were made that it was Atlantis that was found.
Supposed area of Atlantis in the Mediterranean.
To understand the alleged location of Atlantis: there is also an opinion that present Crete is the northern fragment of the island - the part about which Plato wrote that it was the most mountainous part of Atlantis. By the way, in many works on Atlantis, the idea was expressed that Crete and Atlantis are one and the same, and the culture of the Atlanteans is compared with the culture of Crete.
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There are quite a few references to the fact that Crete was once considered the "lord of the sea" in the works of scientists from completely different periods. Even the studies of the famous Jacques-Yves Cousteau, carried out at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, confirmed these claims. So it may well be that then it was not about the Crete that we see now, but about the large island of Atlantis, information about the greatness of which was partly attributed to what was left of it - the island of Crete.
Depth map of the Mediterranean Sea.
In general, this information tells us that the idea of localizing Atlantis in the Mediterranean is not a modern notion, but rather an old and well-known theory. By the way, the sea depth map shows that there is a noticeable dip in the place under discussion. It was into it that Atlantis could fall as a result of the divergence of the continental plates. And what moved the continents is a separate question. They talk about a natural process, and about falling meteorites, and even about nuclear tests - there are many versions.
The most interesting thing - and, apparently, what its authors started from in the development of the theory - is information about the so-called Pillars of Hercules (Pillars of Hercules). The fact is that because of the legend of Hercules, who reached the Atlas Mountains and the Strait of Gibraltar, these Pillars always mean this particular geographical area. And this idea formed the basis of many theories about the location of Atlantis.
Strait of Gibraltar.
But if you read the works of ancient philosophers and later scientists, then they can see that this name meant not only the exit from the Strait of Gibraltar. Previously, other places were also called so - for example, Strabo wrote that we are talking about rocks near the Bosphorus. In Egyptian legends there is information that the Pillars of Hercules are located where the Nile River flows into the sea. One of the theories says that such pillars could be placed at the site of certain incidents - for example, comets and meteorite falls.
In general, if we assume that Plato wrote not about Gibraltar, but about other geographical points, then all meaning in the localization of Atlantis outside the Mediterranean Sea is lost. The history of the Mediterranean Sea, which, as we can see, at different times underwent completely different changes, shows that the sunken islands are more than a possible development of events for this area. Well, it's already easier to look for the legendary island in the Mediterranean Sea - as you can see, there are already ideas of where to dig specifically.
