We’ve all heard the story about the mystical lost city of Atlantis. There have been movies, books and myths about it. But the question is, was Atlantis ever a real place?

The story of Atlantis originated from the tellings of Greek philosopher Plato. He said the following:

“The power came forth out of the Atlantic Ocean, the Atlantic was navigable; and there was an island situated in front of the straits which are by you called the Pillars of Hercules; the island was larger than Libya and Asia, and was the way to the other islands, and from these you might pass to the whole of the opposite continent which surrounded by the true ocean; for this sea which is within the Strait of Hercules is only a harbour, having a narrow entrance, but the other is a real sea, and the surrounding land may be most truly called a boundless continent.”

This is an excerpt from Timaeus and Critias, the only two works of Plato which mention Atlantis. In Timaeus, Atlantis is only introduced, but in Critias, Atlantis is thoroughly discussed and provides information about the city and its people.

Plato continues to describe Atlantis:

“Now in this island of Atlantis there was a great and wonderful empire which had rule over the whole island and several others, and over parts of the continent, and, furthermore, the men of Atlantis had subjected the parts of Libya within the columns of Heracles as far as Egypt, and of Europe as far as Tyrrhenia. This vast power, gathered into one, endeavoured to subdue at a blow our country and yours and the whole of the region within the straits; and then, Solon, your country shone forth, in the excellence of her virtue and strength, among all mankind.”

Plato then shares how the island disappeared. He says in just one day and night violent earthquakes and floods caused great misfortune on the island. The island of Atlantis sank into the sea, and Plato said, “For which reason the sea in those parts is impassable and impenetrable, because there is a shoal of mud in the way; and this was caused by the subsidence of the island.”

Most researchers believe the underwater city resides in one of the following areas:

Northwest of Egypt, from Greece to Spain.

Northeast of Egypt, from the Middle East to the Black Sea

Around Gibraltar, near the Pillars of Hercules, (also where Plato claimed it to have been)

I believe, that wherever Atlantis may be, it is near the Pillars of Hercules, as Plato has said. It is the only place that makes sense as to where it may be. Plato stated it himself, and he was the first to speak about the place.

Other theories suggest that Atlantis was once a continent that sunk due to natural disasters,  that the sinking of Atlantis refers to the great flood in the bible.

In 1882, a writer by the name of Ignatius Donnelly believes that the civilization of Atlantis had been handed down their accomplishments from an earlier advanced civilization. Some may say that it may be still difficult to find any missing pieces since it sunk all those years ago.

Where Atlantis lies is still a mystery, and if it ever actually existed is also still a mystery. But it is possible, and for that reason, the location of Atlantis remains unsolved.