History recreated as 'Phoenicia' sails in
The Phoenicia, a replica 600 BC Phoenician merchant ship, sailed gracefully into Marsamxett harbour today on one of the final legs of an expedition covering 17,000 miles around Africa.
The 20m long vessel, built using traditional methods, arrived from Carthage.
It is recreating the first circumnavigation of Africa achieved some 2,600 years ago.
Malta was an important trading outpost of the Phoenician people, who at the time were regarded as 'rulers of the sea'. They occupied what is now Lebanon and the coastal parts of Syria and Palestine.The Phoenician sphere of influence spread throughout the Mediterranean and their trading activities reached as far as Cornwall for tin, and Indian and China for spices and precious goods.
Greek Historian Herodotus had told how, in 600 BC, Phoenician mariners achieved the first circumnavigation of Africa, a voyage into unknown waters previously considered too dangerous to attempt.
Led by Philip Beale, the British Captain and Adventure Travel Director and an international crew of 11, Phoenicia is attempting to show how Phoenician mariners could have achieved the first circumnavigation of ancient Africa 2,500 years ago.
The replica 600 BC vessel was constructed in Arwad, Syria, using information from a 6th century Mediterranean wreck, its only concession to the present being modern navigation equipment.
The Phoenicia is berthed at Manoel Island and leaves on Monday.
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victor rodenas
Sep 23rd 2010, 14:52
The` Phoenicia` should have berthed in the Grand Harbour not in Manoel Island....as usual...mhux xorta.
Paul Attard
Sep 23rd 2010, 13:50
I feel so excited that at last this Phoenician ship arrived in Malta. I would surely go and see it at the Marina. I prepare some bigilla, bebbux and hobz biz-zejt and pass the evening there enjoying its splendid sails. However, I didn't know that this ship had also a horn as Mr. Wally Vella Zarb informed us. It is so marvellous.
Norman Lowell
Sep 23rd 2010, 09:03
Proto Mediterraneanids certainly sailed down the West Coast of Africa, prior to the Phoenicians.
The cave paintings in SW Africa (Namibia) attributed to the Bushmen, or Sanids are clearly Mediterranean.
They are similar to the Lascaux cave paintings, the creative work of the same Europids.
The captain of the Phoenicia says he sailed down the Red Sea, starting Syria.
I seem to recall that the Suez Canal was built a little bit later than Phoenician times!
Anyway, this voyage certainly proves a point - that the Phoenicians had sailed down the West Coast of Africa - as other Europids had done, thousands of years before them.
wally vella-zarb
Sep 22nd 2010, 22:09
Guy must be a bit confused! At 00:19 he says that they came "...round Cape Horn..."!!! ;-)
Mike Eloff
Sep 23rd 2010, 14:05
As a South African myself, I can hear quite clearly through his very mild South African accent, that he says Cape Point...
victor vella
Sep 22nd 2010, 20:47
I saw this boat coming into harbour at Marsamxett this morning it was a sight to behold, pity it wasn't under sail.
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