Abya's place

Italy has many notable dive sites, but Baia is one that stands out, as a sunken city dating back into antiquity, this archaeological site is a place filled with mystery and wonder.

The sunken lost city of Baia, also known with another name  "Las Vegas of the Roman Empire", was located in shallow sea waters off the Italian port city of Pozzuoli, about 30 kilometers from Naples.

Baia Resort during the Roman Empire

The most important assets of the Baia were  the thermal baths, which contained medicinal water heated by volcanic activity in the ground beneath the Baia, the sunken city was also distinguished by its beauty and splendor of its buildings and streets paved with mosaics, according to the German Travel book website

discovering sunken city of Baia

The sinking of the city of Baia 

When Baia was on land, on the slopes of the Campi Flegrei, a giant volcano was the source of the famous hot baths that attracted the ancient Romans to the area.

Baia was certainly popular with emperors and members of the aristocracy because of its thermal baths

Baia was a place of immorality for the upper Roman class.

It was the place where the rich and powerful came to carry out their illicit affairs, Rome's ultra-wealthy took weekend trips here to party

As we said, it is  known as the "Las Vegas of the Roman Empire

Baia was certainly popular with emperors and members of the aristocracy because of its thermal baths.

Baia was a place of immorality for the upper Roman class.

According to historical legend, the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra run away from her captors after killing her lover Julius Caesar in 44 BC at Baia, the Roman Emperor Claudius was also poisoned by his wife at Baia, so that her son Nero could take the Roman imperial throne

The Egyptian Queen Cleopatra in Baia

By 1500, the remains of the formerly luxurious town were abandoned, after the city remains were emptied, the water level slowly rose due to the same volcanic vents that were once a draw to the area, and most of the ancient ruins were drowned under the shallow waters of the bay.

 

sunken Baia

The sunken city first paid  people's attention in the 1940s, when a pilot was able to see ruins in the shallow waters, then geologists began to take an interest in Baya.

However, the city was not officially explored by submarine until the 1960s.

Unfortunately, the lower part of the town later became submerged in the sea due to local volcanic, seismic activity which raised or lowered the land, and recent underwater archaeology has revealed many of the fine buildings now protected in the submerged archaeological park.