The City of Atlantis was destroyed by earthquakes, and major portions of the city sank into the sea, in 9,600 BC. The fertile farmlands of the Island of Atlantis sank and formed the Sea of Azov. Tsunamis sweep in over Atlantis City from the Black Sea. Shoals of mud blocked Kerch Strait, which blocked passage into the Sea of Azov.

The historical Hill of Mithridat is located in the center of the Crimean city of Kerch. Beneath the hill are miles of underground rock quarries, rooms, and catacombs.  Plato's Atlantis Dialogues states that the stones to build Atlantis were quarried from  the beneath the city.

Plato describes stone walls encircling the city. Today, the ruins of 7 feet thick stone walls and the foundations of guard towers, are clearly visible, submerged in Kerch Strait. The foundation stones of a 45 feet thick defensive wall, have been located submerged in Taman Bay, on the Russian side of Kerch Strait.