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(Image: MYSTERY: Scientists have been trying to determine if Atlantis is fact or fiction for decades)

The mythical island was first described by ancient Greek philosopher Plato in his famous dialogues Timaeus and Critias in the fourth century BC.

Many believe the island was a myth created by the philosopher to illustrate his political theories, while other insists the tale is based on reality.

Now Italian history boffin and journalist Sergio Frau is convinced there’s some truth to the myth after all.

According to Plato’s account, written around 360BC, he spoke of "a mighty power… [which] came forth out of the Atlantic Ocean" from "an island situated in front of the straits which are by you called the Pillars of Heracles (or Hercules)."

Frau believes the key to discovering the true location of the ancient metropolis lies in finding the pillars Plato refers to.

(Image: GETTY)

It is commonly believed that the Pillars of Hercules is now known as the Strait of Gibraltar – a narrow channel linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean between Gibraltar and southernmost Spain.

However, Frau believes the pillars are actually located in the Strait of Sicily, meaning the the Plato’s Atlantis is in fact Sardina – a large Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea.

Frau told Sputnik: “Plato was talking about the island of Atlas, where the rise of Greek civilization took place.

“Atlas had a brother, Prometheus, who lived (chained to a rock) in the Caucasus Mountains, so there was one brother who lived in the mountains at sunrise and one who lived at sunset in the middle of the sea.

"According to Plato's dialogues, the first thing we see at the entrance to the Strait of Sicily is Sardinia.

“Plato said that 'the first thing on the other side of the Pillars of Hercules is a huge island, from which you can get to the other islands.”

(Image: GETTY) (Image: GETTY)

Describing the island around 360 BC, Plato said the island was "larger than ancient Libya and Asia Minor (modern Turkey) put together", and was"the way to the other islands, and from these you might pass to the whole of the opposite continent".

Around 9600BC, the island – led by its God king Poseidon – conquered and enslaved most of western Europe and Africa.

However, after failed attempts to invade Athens in Greece, the island sank into the sea “in a single day and night of misfortune”.

(Image: GETTY)

Using drones to explore Sardinia, Frau claims he has found evidence which corroborates Plato's description of the island.

He said: “I started studying Sardinia in a different way, and I noticed that on the coast where there could have been a tsunami, there were a lot of Nuraghe (ancient monuments distinctive to Sardinia), which were buried.

"Ettore Tronci and I have been working on this (research) for three years, using drones.

“Tronci found hundreds of buried Nuraghe in the province of Medio Campidano, discovering this catastrophe for the first time.”

After his theory captured the attention of UNESCO and the Italian Academy of Sciences, Frau is calling for more archaeological research on the island and better protection to preserve its heritage.

“We have to understand how this happened, how a once flourishing island suddenly came to be abandoned and only Nuraghe remained," Frau said.

Another lost civilisation based on the island of Hy’Brasil is said to be located just a few miles off the British coast.

And conspiracy theorists were speculating over whether a massive structure on Google's Earth mapping tool could be the lost city of Atlantis.