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The Arabic word al-Atlal (الأطلال) means “the ruins”. It often carries deep poetic and emotional meaning, standing for memories of the past, lost love, or the remains of something once beautiful and meaningful.
In classical Arabic literature, “atlal” also refers to the ruins of a lover’s dwelling. This motif appears often in pre-Islamic poetry (the Mu’allaqat), where the poet uses it to reflect on impermanence and the passing of time.
Al-Atlal and Atlantis
Atlantis has Greek origins: the name comes from Atlas, the Titan who held up the heavens in Greek mythology. Still, the similarity between the Arabic al-Atlal and Atlantis invites speculation, because both words are tied to the theme of lost civilizations.
As a metaphor, al-Atlal can be linked to Atlantis, since both call up the idea of a past civilization now in ruins. Al-Atlal traditionally means real, physical remains left behind by a once-thriving society. Even so, it echoes the idea of Atlantis, with its mystery, grandeur and tragic fall.
In the context of Atlantis, al-Atlal can call up three things:
- Lost grandeur: both stand for a golden age of knowledge, culture or power that has faded into legend or into ruins.
- Cultural memory: al-Atlal holds the emotional remains of something cherished, and in the same way Atlantis remains a symbol of humanity’s fascination with the past and its lessons.
- The mystery of ruins: the ruins of al-Atlal parallel the mythical ruins of Atlantis beneath the sea, wrapped in mystery and a longing to be found.
Seen this way, Atlantis is not just a myth but a poetic memory of lost greatness, and of the lasting mark civilizations leave on human consciousness.
How Plato’s story reached Athens
In Plato’s dialogues, the “Timaeus” and the unfinished “Critias”, the story of Atlantis passes down a chain of storytellers that goes back to an Egyptian priest.
Solon, the famous Athenian lawmaker and one of the Seven Sages of Greece, is said to have visited Egypt around 590 BCE. In the city of Sais he spoke with a high priest, who told him the tale of Atlantis. The priest claimed that Egypt kept records of events far older than any the Greeks knew, including the story of a mighty island empire called Atlantis.
Back in Greece, Solon meant to turn the story into an epic poem but never finished it. He told the tale to his friend Dropides. Dropides passed it to his son, Critias the Elder, who told it to his grandson, Critias the Younger. In Plato’s dialogues, Critias the Younger tells the story in a conversation with Socrates and others, and uses it to discuss ideal societies, morality and hubris.
Atlantis in the dialogues
In the dialogues, Atlantis is a powerful island nation beyond the “Pillars of Heracles”, commonly identified with the Strait of Gibraltar. It is said to have waged war on the lands inside the Pillars, ancient Athens among them, which sets the virtuous Athenians against the arrogant Atlanteans. According to the story, Atlantis sank into the sea in a single day and night of misfortune, as a punishment from the gods for the moral decline of its people.
The link with Egypt gives the story a sense of age and authority, because Egyptian civilization was seen as ancient and wise. This has led to many theories and debates about a possible historical basis for Atlantis.
Possible connections and word parallels
In Greek, “Atlantis” means “of Atlas” or “belonging to Atlas.” In the story, the island is named after the Titan Atlas and is linked to the Atlantic Ocean. Plato’s account is firmly rooted in Greek mythology and the Greek language.
The idea of ruins, the remains of a lost civilization, is central to both words. This points to a universal human concern with the memory of greatness and its eventual decay.
Plato said the story came from Egyptian priests, who may have used words or ideas similar to “ruins” when they described a lost civilization.
Possible explanations
Many cultures have stories of lost civilizations, destruction and moral decline. The likeness between “Atlantis” and “al-Atlal” may reflect a shared archetype rather than a direct link between the words.
The Mediterranean, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula were connected in ancient times, so ideas about lost civilizations may well have influenced several cultures, even if the likeness of the words is a coincidence.
“Atl” in Nahuatl
The root “atl”, meaning water, comes from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, not from Greek or Arabic. There is no direct link between Nahuatl and Greek or Arabic. Even so, the root is worth a look alongside Atlantis, given how closely Atlantis is tied to water and the sea.
In Nahuatl, “atl” simply means water. Examples include Aztlán, the legendary homeland of the Aztec people, often called the “place of whiteness” or seen as a mythical watery region, and Atlanteotl, a deity associated with water.
As a symbol of water, “atl” can serve as a metaphor for Atlantis, a civilization said to have been surrounded by water and finally swallowed by it.
Atlantis itself comes from Atlas, the Greek Titan, and the name is tied to the Atlantic Ocean and the idea of vast, surrounding waters. “Atl” as “water” is not Greek, but the sea is central to the Atlantis myth, which makes the coincidence intriguing.
Al-Atlal means ruins or remains, and this can include remains left by water, such as ruins after a flood or sunken cities. The overlap grows stronger if the Atlantis story was shaped by tales of catastrophic floods, like those in many ancient flood myths.
Water as a shared symbol
Across cultures, water often stands for life, destruction and renewal. The likeness between “atl” (water), Atlantis and al-Atlal (ruins) may reflect this shared symbolic weight.
If Plato’s Atlantis story came from Egypt, and the Nahuatl “atl” from Mesoamerica, both may draw independently on universal myths of destruction by water, such as floods and deluges.
Conclusion
The Nahuatl “atl”, meaning water, probably has no direct link to the origin of the name Atlantis, but the shared theme of water is striking. The Greek name of Atlantis fits its mythic picture as a sea-going civilization. The likeness to al-Atlal adds another layer, pointing to a universal cultural fascination with the creative and destructive powers of water and their relationship to human civilizations.
