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Many tourists who travel to Zakynthos and stay in the resort of Alykes/Alykanas may be surprised to learn that there’s an age-old mystery attached to this part of the island. No one knows when this mystery truly began but it was brought to light publicly in December 2013 by a well-known Islander.
The news of the discovery of an Ancient underwater site, both surprised and excited Zakynthians. The site is off the coast of Alykanas. Thought to be approximately 30 acres in size, it’s situated approximately 2 to 6 metres below the seabed, just off the shore. Photographs taken by the diver who found the site noted, that there were at least 20 stone pillar bases of which featured a 34cm diameter and were initially thought to have been meant for wooden columns. Other observations noted large slabs of stone formed on the seabed to look like the floor of an ancient public building. The immense size of the site at the time made archaeologists think they had found a significant ancient site and that the ancient “building” could be an ancient port.
The international press picked up the story and the news sites were awash with the stories of “Ancient ruins city of Zakynthos found by local diver”. These press reports showed wonderful photographs of structures under the seabed, that in all honesty looked exactly like the remains of an ancient city. It was a tantalising glimpse of something that had been hidden under the seabed, possibly for centuries, that no one on Zakynthos knew about. Archaeologists got excited and visited the island and the site. They talked to those involved, and at the time the underwater antiquities department declared the discovery to be public buildings and other antiquities sites.
Things went quiet for a few years and then suddenly in 2016 an announcement came that shocked everyone. Specialists had looked at the site, taken samples and they declared it not to be an ancient building. Instead, they said it was naturally made, with the stone columns and slabs being nothing more than 5,000yr old concretions, a result of “rare geological phenomena”.
This continually intriguing site at Alykanas has become so popular internationally that not only has it been written about in well-known newspapers, but it’s also been the subject of TV programmes such as “Drain the Oceans” by National Geographic, and podcast material for the popular “A Moment of Science” podcast.
Many locals are still unconvinced that it’s a rare geological phenomenon. Other artefacts found in the location in the past prove that there was once something in Alykanas Bay. Old documents allude to it too. Even the Deputy Mayor of Zakynthos declared this site to be unique to the world and insisted that scientists must do as much as they can to conduct tests to provide more information.
We may never truly know whether this site at Alykanas is man-made or natural. It will however continue to be mysterious – a phenomenon within itself – with many questions left unanswered. We hope that one day there will be a possibility of exciting and tantalising answers in the future.
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Photos copyright of Pavlos Voutos.
