Nan Madol and the Saudeleur dynasty

On the reef off south-east Pohnpei, the Saudeleur rulers built 92 artificial islets from stacked basalt columns and coral rubble, divided by tidal canals. Nan Madol was their seat, ceremonial centre and burial ground until, in Pohnpeian tradition, the hero Isokelekel overthrew the last Saudeleur around 1628. It is a World Heritage site in danger, as mangroves and silting canals push its walls apart.