A Phoenician Ship

The replica of an ancient Phoenician ship departed from Syria in August 2008, to sail through the Suez Canal, around the Horn of Africa and up the west coast of Africa, through the Straits of Gibraltar and across the Mediterranean to return to Syria. The ship is 20 metres long and was constructed at Arwad Island, an ancient Phoenician city state just off the Syrian coast, by Syrian shipwright Khalid Hammoud using traditional methods.

The project includes building a replica of an ancient Phoenician boat from traditional Phoenician materials and with same means and methods used by that ancient people. Designs of the boat were based on materials gathered from old Phoenician ship wrecks; vases, coins, pottery, and of course from the information gathered by those interested in the history of Phoenician people.

“This project is a real revival of history”, Mr Philip Bell, leader of the project said.” People from Africa, Europe and the Middle East will participate in it, and people all round the world will have the opportunity to follow the voyage of this boat, through which we will understand many things about the Phoenicians and their stunning exploratory zeal.

We have already started a documentary program which will cover the voyage of the boat along the coasts and countries it will sail through. We have already documented all the materials we had used in building the ship, so that they can be introduced to naval schools all over the world”.

The last phase of building the boat was celebrated in the Syrian Embassy in London in 19th of May. 2008, where all those interested in the project attended and showed support.

Mr Philip Bell, an adventurer whose last voyage was on board the trial ship Borobodore 2003-2004, will lead a group of 20 multinational volunteer sailors, and will leave the Syrian coast on august, bound African coasts, crossing the Suez Canal, then sailing along the eastern coasts of Africa to make a turn around the dangerous Good Hope Cape. The team will continue sailing along the western coasts of Africa on their way back to the Mediterranean planning to arrive on May 2009.

On 24 October 2010, the replica of a Phoenician ship from 600BC has arrived home in western Syria after a two-year voyage circumnavigating the coast of Africa.

The 20,000 mile journey was a recreation of the first supposed voyage around the continent, some 2,000 years before an attempt was actually documented.

Haifaa Mafalani