<P> A recorded 22 earthquakes between 320 and 1303 AD on the coast of Pharos in Egypt shook the city of Alexandria, which was home to Pharos Lighthouse . The effects of these earthquakes, and several more in the centuries that followed suggest that the large monument may have fallen into the sea, leaving massive blocks of stone awaiting the exploration mission led by archaeologist Jean - Yves Empereur in 1994 . While many components of the old lighthouse are on display at the Kom el - Dikka museum in Alexandria, archaeologists suggest that around 500 pieces remain on the oceans floors . Today, the Alexandria Lighthouse is among one of the seven wonders of the ancient world . </P> <P> On July 19, 1545, the British Fleet known as the Mary Rose sunk to the bottom of the Portsmouth Harbour, in the United Kingdom . While its failures still remain a mystery, is estimated that at least 500 men were trapped in the ship, and only 35 of these escaped to safety In 1982, sixty million people watched as the vessel was lifted out of its resting place, with its 19,000 discovered objects still intact . Due to the preservation of this monument of underwater cultural heritage in the Mary Rose museum, the public can continue to enjoy the vessel and all of her artifacts . </P> <P> Off the coast of Sweden in 1628, the pride of the Swedish Navy, the Vasa sunk deep beneath the frigid waters of the Baltic Sea . Under the orders of King Gustavus II Adolphus, the immense vessel was built to support Swedish military campaigns during the Thirty Years' War, yet was toppled by swift winds at sea . The Vasa remained peacefully underwater until a team of archaeologists raised the wreck in 1961 . Fortunately, the wreck and all of its belongings were salvaged, despite its lengthily time spent on the ocean floor . Today, the Swedish Vasa museum in Stockholm is an emblem of cultural heritage, dedicated to educating public citizens worldwide . </P> <P> In 1985, two scientists discovered the RMS Titanic in the northern waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada Within the wreck, 1,800 artifacts were found, deeming the discovery a very important contribution to the field of Underwater Cultural Heritage The Titanic has raised significant questions surrounding the remaining passengers, the value of the wreck and the items lost therein, as well as the impact of the accident The discovery of the ship, and other sunken wrecks, may have also raised questions about the legal framework of the UN Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage . </P>

Unesco convention on protection of underwater cultural heritage