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Voyage of the Phoenicia Makes History

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Voyage of the Phoenicia Makes History culture NAZAM ANHAR ancient Phoenicians really have nationalities to sail the 21-me- made that great voyage around tre-long vessel. The ship was the coast of Africa? launched from Arwad in August One man was determined 2008, passing through the Suez n amazing voyage to find out. Canal and entering the Red Sea is nearingA its end. A replica of a Captain Philip Beale, a to commence the re-enactment 3,000 year old Phoenician ship noted sailor and adventurer who of the epic voyage. Of the many is sailing towards Britain on the served in the British navy, took dangers facing them, the crew final part of an adventure that was on the challenge of proving that knew that they were required to thought by many to be impossi- it was possible for the Phoeni- show especial vigilance around ble. cians to have made their famous the coast of Somalia, where pi- The story begins in 600 circumnavigation of Africa. The rates actively operate. Though BC, when the Egyptian Pharaoh first step was to build an authentic they relied on intelligence reports summoned the greatest sailors of replica of an ancient Phoenician to avoid the most dangerous ar- his time – the Phoenician seafar- ship – with the help of expert ar- eas, at one stage they were trailed ers – and dared them to do what chaeologists who studied the ear- suspiciously by a vessel, only to had never been done before: to ly shipwrecks and corresponding watch it vanish when a container make a voyage all the way around artefacts, the design of the ship was ship passed by. Later they crossed the vast f o r m e d . paths with a pirate mother ship, continent ...could the ancient Phoeni- The ship which had made an attack only of Africa. cians really have made that was built in a few days before. They diverted The Phoe- great voyage around the the ancient course to avoid it, and the follow- n i c i a n s coast of africa? P h o e n i - ing week they heard that the same set sail in one man was determined to cian city vessel had hijacked three other dangerous, find out. of Arwad, ships in the surrounding waters. unknow n } } on the Syr- Having sailed down the waters, and after enduring an epic ian coast, and the ship-builders east coast of Africa, the next chal- voyage that lasted three years, came from a family that has been lenge was to round the notorious they completed the first circum- making wooden vessels in Arwad Cape of Good Hope. The stormy navigation of Africa. for generations, and are proud of seas of the Cape have long been a But did they really do their own Phoenician ancestry. terror for sailors, and account for it? Even Herodotus, the famous They used traditional materials many shipwrecks. Here the Phoe- Greek historian who wrote of and techniques to build the ship, nicia met with 7-metre waves and the feat, doubted that it was pos- which was named Phoenicia. gale force winds that tore the sible. For almost 3,000 years the Captain Beale assembled mainsail in two. Ever resilient, the question has remained: could the a crew of volunteers of many crew made repairs and continued 24 Anoujoum May 2012 their voyage around the Cape. ship arrived in the ports of Tripoli UK, including Cornwall, where tin Having succeeded in over- and Beirut in Lebanon, the home- was mined in ancient times. Dur- coming this great challenge, the land of the Phoenicians. The circum- ing summer the Phoenicia will be small wooden ship followed a course navigation was complete when the on display at the Saint Katharine along the west coast of Africa. The ship returned to Arwad, where it had Docks in London, where members captain and his crew faced not only been built, in October 2010. Captain of the public can come on board to storms but days of adverse winds, see what life was like for the ancient which caused long and unavoidable seafarers. The ship, and the Phoeni- delays – an inevitable pitfall for the cia Foundation that was established Phoenicia, which depended on the by Captain Beale, continues to play power of the wind for speed and an important role in educating movement. people about the achievements of Along the way the ship made the ancient Phoenicians – masters stops at many of sailing, trade and exploration. ports, and its pres- clockwise from right: traditional dancers welcome the ship on its homecoming (arwad); captain Beale plots} the course of the voyage; the Phoenicia at sea.} ence garnered interest from the local a painting by expedition artist danielle eubank people, raising new awareness of the } www.danielleeubank.com } achievements of the Phoenicians. For more inFormation The ship docked in Egypt, Yemen and Parts of the voyage were filmed by the South Africa, amongst many other BBC for its documentary series “Ancient ports. The crew, consisting of around Worlds.” The website of the expedition twenty people at any one time, was Beale had proved that it was possi- www.phoenicia.org.uk tells the whole rotated for various parts of the voy- ble – after a voyage that lasted two story of the ship, with a Photo Gallery age; over fifty people from all back- years and two months, sailing more of many scenes from the voyage – as well grounds and religions joined the ship than 20,000 nautical miles. as the latest news and events as the ad- as crew members during its journey. venture continues. The official artist of But this is not where the the expedition, the distinguished mari- At last, the ship passed through adventure ends. In May of 2012, the the Straits of Gibraltar to re-enter the time painter Danielle Eubank, has had Phoenicia will sail to Britain, follow- her artworks exhibited in galleries in Mediterranean for the last part of the ing the ancient trade route which London and Los Angeles. Some of these voyage – the homecoming. There the Phoenicians made for tin. The wonderful pieces can be viewed on her were triumphant scenes when the ship will visit several ports in the website: www.danielleubank.com BiograPhical note Nazam Anhar is a children’s author of Lebanese Australian heritage. He has written the novel Milad: The Voyage to Ophir (published by Scholastic Australia), which is the first children’s novel set in the world of the Phoenicians. It tells the story of a boy who sails in a Phoenician merchant fleet, seeing many of the same places in Egypt and Africa as visited by the recent Phoenicia Expedition ship. Milad has been endorsed by the Phoe- nicia Expedition as part of its educational program. Milad has also been included on the Premiers Reading Challenge list in Australia. Milad is available to order from www.lcp.co.uk/milad Anoujoum May 2012 25.
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