The town of Sfentyli in Crete, on the Herakleion-Lasithi Highway, is becoming a modern-day city of Atlantis as it slowly sinks into the Aposelemis dam according to a plan for its total submersion in water. The medieval town, dated from 1577, is being sacrificed for the purposes of the Aposelemi dam project aimed at solving a water supply problem in Heraklion and other cities.

The scenic village once housed 80 people and its focal point was a Byzantine 14th century church decorated with historic frescos created by the Fokas brothers.

The historic village had withstood a number of invaders, however it could not withstand progress. A number of townsfolk threatened to drown in their houses but the villagers finally were uprooted and transported elsewhere.

A drone showing its sinking –

Footage captures people’s reactions. One man says that the 32,119 euros aren’t enough for him to find a house of the same style elsewhere. “I was born here. I am 68 years old and, as a result, I can’t leave this place and survive somewhere else,” he said. “These are my roots.” The plan was on the works since 2000. The first testing took place in July 2013, however the dam should have been completed by 2010.