Between the sun-soaked beaches of Nabeul and the bustling resort town of Hammamet, the Mediterranean guards a long-buried secret: the ancient city of Neapolis, submerged and forgotten for centuries until its rediscovery in 2017.
Now considered one of the largest underwater archaeological sites in the Mediterranean, Neapolis is a far cry from the polished ruins of more famous landmarks. There are no fences, no tour guides, no curated paths—just the open sea, restless currents, and a ghost city scattered across the seabed.
Little is known with certainty about Neapolis’s past, though the clues are compelling. Roman-era remnants—amphorae, vats, stonework—lie strewn beneath the waves, suggesting a once-thriving port town. Some archaeologists believe Neapolis may have been a center for producing garum, the pungent fermented fish sauce once prized across the Roman Empire.
Then, sometime in the 4th century, the city vanished. Theories abound: a catastrophic earthquake, a tsunami, or the slow decline of Roman authority. Whatever the cause, the sea swallowed Neapolis, preserving it in watery silence.
Today, its ruins lie just offshore, partially submerged off Tunisia’s northeast coast. Swimmers unknowingly glide above its stones. Adventurous divers occasionally explore its sunken walls and ceramic fragments. But for the most part, Neapolis remains untouched—suspended between history and mystery, half in the sea and half in the imagination.
TunisianMonitorOnline (CBR)
