⭐ In the context of Heracleion, Abukir is considered…
Heracleion’s remains are located in Abu Qir Bay, which is near Abukir, and currently sits approximately 7 kilometers off the coast. This makes Abukir a key geographical reference point for the site of the lost city.
Abu Qir (Arabic: ابو قير, Abu Qīr, [æbuˈ] or [æboʔiːɾ], Coptic: ⲁⲡⲁⲕⲩⲣⲓApakyri), formerly also spelled Abukir or Aboukir, is a town on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, near the ruins of ancient Canopus and 23 kilometers (14 mi) northeast of Alexandria by rail. It is located on Abu Qir Peninsula, with Abu Qir Bay to the east.
Heracleion (Ancient Greek: ἩράκλειονHērákleion), also known as Thonis (Ancient Greek: ΘῶνιςThônis; from the Ancient Egyptian: Tȝ-ḥn.t; Coptic: ⲦϩⲱⲛⲓThōni) and sometimes called Thonis-Heracleion, was an ancient Egyptian port city located near the Canopic Mouth of the Nile, about 32 km (20 mi) northeast of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea. It became inundated; its remains are located in Abu Qir Bay, which in 2022 was 7 km (4.3 mi) off the coast and approximately 5.8 m (19 ft) underwater, and near Abukir. The sanctuary of Neith of Sais was located in Thonis. A stele found on the site indicates that late in its history the city was known by both its Egyptian and Greek names.
The legendary beginnings of Thonis go back to as early as the 12th century BC, and it is mentioned by ancient Greek historians. Its importance grew particularly during the waning days of the pharaohs.