25th November 2003

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Archaeological and historical treasures buried underneath layers of earth and submerged under the Red Sea have the potential to boost tourist interest in strife-torn Sudan similar to what the pyramids did for Egypt, a leading University of Ulster researcher believes.

Speaking after a three-week international expedition at the request of the Sudanese government, Dr Colin Breen said he and his two colleagues from the Centre for Maritime Archaeology in the University of Ulster’s Coastal Studies Research Group were delighted at unearthing several shipwreck sites, a 16th century harbour, an Islamic merchant’s house, and a glass vessel of Mediterranean origin dating from the 1720s as well as other artefacts.

The UU trio were part of a group of Sudanese, British, Danish, Canadian and Dutch researchers, in an expedition coordinated by Mallinson Architects in London, who explored for the first time the “virgin territory” of the deserted island town of Suakin on Sudan’s southern Red Sea coast in north east Africa. There they excavated remains on land and sea for clues of the once bustling Islamic and medieval port. It was also the first time that underwater archaeology was done in Suakin.

“It was really exciting. It was a fantastic opportunity to be the first to scratch the surface of this hugely significant site. It was virgin territory so to speak as there have never been any archaeological digs or excavations there before,” said Dr Breen.

“The Red Sea was one of the most important economic regions throughout history. It was the main trade route into the Indian ocean and Mediterranean.”

Dr Breen said the conditions in Suakin, which is not a tourist hotspot due to its position close to the SPLA (Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army) controlled southern regions of the country which is currently engaged in a civil war with the north. As a consequence it is heavily fortified and conditions were difficult but the team tried not to think too much about the war.

“It was extremely hot out there, with temperatures varying between 44 and 45 degrees. But it was worth it. The country has an incredibly rich archaeological legacy being the centre of ancient Nubia, a civilisation which matched ancient Egypt in terms of culture and architecture.

“The fact that no modern town has been built over the site as has been the case for example with Dublin and London has ensured that the archaeological sites buried underneath have not been lost, which is a big plus.”

Suakin was once the main Red Sea trading port into and out of the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. It was used during the 15th and 16th centuries, as it still is today, as the main port for African pilgrims to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and during the annual Hadj. In the late 18th and 19th centuries it became a colonial town and English forces erected walls and fortifications around the settlement. Since Britain abandoned it in the 1920s it has remained largely deserted.

Sudan is one of the largest countries in Africa and is also one of the poorest. Since gaining independence in 1956 it has been torn apart by a civil war between the north and south of the country as well as experiencing ethnic tension and conflict throughout its western territories.

“Tourists simply don’t go to Sudan because of the conflict but if and when the war stops the country has the archaeology to match that of Egypt and so the tourism potential for the place would be equally the same,” said Dr Breen.

The University of Ulster team plans to return to Sudan in January 2005 to carry out more excavations of the site and hope the finds uncovered last month will help boost the campaign to protect the area by getting it declared a World Heritage centre.

“This is an exciting new venture for us and builds on our experience in East Africa,” said Dr Andrew Cooper, head of the Coastal Research Group.

Dr Cooper said it was paramount that the site is declared a World Heritage centre. “We hope that what has been uncovered will re-ignite and help the campaign to have the site declared a world heritage centre by UNESCO. This would ensure that this significant and priceless archaeological and historical site is protected for the people of Sudan and the world.”

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk