The Red Sea Development Company is well on its way to being one of the most ambitious projects in the kingdom’s Saudi Vision 2030. The Red Sea Development already sounded impressive, but now it is welcoming the first-ever underwater excavation on the Red Sea Coast.
The Red Sea coast boasts heritage and culture, and one of the most impressive artefacts is a shipwreck that is dated between the years 1725-1750. Saudi currently has six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but this will be under review to be included into the prestigious list.
Dr Chiara Zazzaro, director of Red Sea Shipwreck Excavation and Associate Professor of Maritime Archaeology at the University of Naples, says, “The shipwreck is currently the most intact and best-preserved wooden shipwreck in the Red Sea.
“With its spectacular cargo of jars, porcelain and spices, this 18th-century merchantman testifies the intense trading activities going on in the Red Sea before the opening of the Suez Canal, and its articulated connection with the wider Indian Ocean trade. The preserved wooden structure represents unique evidence of massive and expensive boatbuilding construction, previously unknown in the region.”
This shipwreck gives us amazing insights into the 18th century, and gives us a deeper look into the history of our ancestors and how they lived their lives. As a part of this exciting project you can also look forward the construction of the first maritime museum in Saudi Arabia. So, get ready to take a deeper dive into history.
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