Amerigo Vespucci Brings Italy's Rich Maritime Culture to Jeddah's Shores

Amerigo Vespucci brings Italy's rich maritime culture to Jeddah's shores. (SPA)
Amerigo Vespucci brings Italy's rich maritime culture to Jeddah's shores. (SPA)
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Amerigo Vespucci Brings Italy's Rich Maritime Culture to Jeddah's Shores

Amerigo Vespucci brings Italy's rich maritime culture to Jeddah's shores. (SPA)
Amerigo Vespucci brings Italy's rich maritime culture to Jeddah's shores. (SPA)

The historic Italian ship Amerigo Vespucci has drawn thousands of visitors of all ages and nationalities during its stop at the Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina, from January 27 to 30, as part of its global tour aimed at showcasing Italy's cultural heritage and promoting maritime sustainability.

Several visitors shared their admiration for this maritime masterpiece with the Saudi Press Agency. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi described his visit as a unique cultural experience, while Noha Al-Harbi viewed it as a valuable opportunity to introduce her children to new cultures, rich with educational and entertaining experiences.

Crew member Antonio DeSimone remarked, "Jeddah blends modernity and heritage, and visitors' enthusiasm for the ship's history made us feel at home." Similarly, Italian visitor Maria Rossi emphasized the ship's significance in Italy's maritime heritage, praising the warm hospitality extended to the crew in Jeddah.

Gilda Ortega from the Philippines noted that her visit allowed her to explore Italy's maritime heritage, and Mohammad Ashraf from India emphasized that the ship represents a global maritime legacy and a bridge for cultural exchange between nations.

Built in 1930, Amerigo Vespucci is one of Italy's oldest and most renowned sailing ships. Now serving as a training vessel for the Italian Navy, it carries a rich history of global voyages, introducing people to Italian maritime culture and fostering international cultural exchange.



Egypt Unveils First Ancient Royal Tomb since Tutankhamun

These handout pictures released by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities on February 19, 2025 show the entrance to the tomb of King Thutmose II in Luxor in southern Egypt. (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities / AFP)
These handout pictures released by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities on February 19, 2025 show the entrance to the tomb of King Thutmose II in Luxor in southern Egypt. (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities / AFP)
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Egypt Unveils First Ancient Royal Tomb since Tutankhamun

These handout pictures released by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities on February 19, 2025 show the entrance to the tomb of King Thutmose II in Luxor in southern Egypt. (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities / AFP)
These handout pictures released by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities on February 19, 2025 show the entrance to the tomb of King Thutmose II in Luxor in southern Egypt. (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities / AFP)

Egypt's antiquities authority says it has found the ancient tomb of King Thutmose II, the first royal burial to be located since the famed discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922.

The tomb, discovered near the Valley of the Kings in Luxor in southern Egypt, belonged to King Thutmose II of the 18th dynasty, who lived nearly 3,500 years ago.

Thutmose II was an ancestor to Tutankhamun himself, and his half-sister and queen consort was Pharaoh Hatshepsut.

Her giant mortuary temple stands on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor a few kilometers (miles) from where the tomb of Thutmose II was found.

Although preliminary studies suggest its contents were moved in ancient times -- leaving the tomb without the iconic mummy or gilded splendor of the Tutankhamun find -- the antiquities ministry on Tuesday called the discovery "one of the most significant archaeological breakthroughs in recent years".

It has been excavated by a joint Egyptian-British mission, led by the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the New Kingdom Research Foundation.

The tomb's entrance was first located in 2022 in the Luxor mountains west of the Valley of the Kings, but was believed at the time to lead to the tomb of a royal wife.

But the team then found "fragments of alabaster jars inscribed with the name of Pharaoh Thutmose II, identified as the 'deceased king', alongside inscriptions bearing the name of his chief royal consort, Queen Hatshepsut", confirming whose tomb it was, the ministry said.

Shortly after the king's burial, water flooded the burial chamber, damaging the interior and leaving fragments of plaster that bore parts of the Book of Amduat, an ancient mortuary text on the underworld.

Some funerary furniture belonging to Thutmose II has also been recovered from the tomb in "the first-ever find" of its kind, according to the ministry.

It quoted mission chief Dr Piers Litherland as saying the team will continue its work in the area, hoping to find the tomb's original contents.

There has been a surge of major archaeological discoveries in recent years, as Egypt seeks to boost its tourism industry as a key source of foreign currency revenue.

Last year, Egypt hosted 15.7 million tourists and aims to attract 18 million visitors in 2025.

The crown jewel of the government's strategy is the long-delayed inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum at the foot of the pyramids in Giza, which Egypt has said will finally open this year.