August 7, 2006—About 1,300 years ago several major natural disasters sent parts of three Egyptian cities under the sea off the coast of the modern-day port city of Alexandria (map of Egypt).

Today a display of more than 500 artifacts recovered from the depths is drawing crowds to the Martin-Gropius-Bau museum in Berlin, Germany—the first public exhibition of the once watery relics.

Take a virtual tour of the exhibit, which spans nearly 1,500 years of Egyptian history, and see footage of the underwater excavation in action.