"Something has been found to indicate very strongly that there are man-made structures somewhere between Cyprus and Syria," a spokesperson for the mission told Reuters.

The mystery of Atlantis, both whether it existed and why it disappeared, has fired the imagination of explorers for decades.

Many believe the ancient civilization was destroyed in a massive flood, a cataclysm which many ancient cultures believe occurred around 9,000 BC.

Greek mythology says Atlantis was a powerful nation whose residents were so corrupted by greed and power that Zeus destroyed it.

Theories place Atlantis either somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, or the Greek island of Santorini, or off the Celtic Ridge of Britain or even further afield in the South China Sea.

Sarmast's theory is that Cyprus is the pinnacle of Atlantis, with the rest of it about a mile below sea level.