Red Sea Museum Wraps 'Sunken Treasures' in Jeddah

The Red Sea Museum in Historic Jeddah has concluded its six-month exhibition, “Sunken Treasures: The Maritime Heritage of the Red Sea,” which explored centuries of trade, navigation, and pilgrimage along the Red Sea. Hosted in the historic Bab Al-Bunt building in the Makkah Region, the exhibition opened to the public on 25 February 2026 and welcomed visitors daily from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

The exhibition told the story of the Red Sea as a historic route connecting the Arabian Peninsula with the Mediterranean, Africa, and Asia. Arranged into thematic galleries, it displayed underwater archaeological discoveries and artifacts recovered from shipwrecks, including Islamic and Chinese ceramics, anchors, coins, pottery, glassware, navigational instruments, nautical maps, and pilgrimage-related objects.

Among the standout displays was the 18th-century Umluj shipwreck, discovered at a depth of roughly 20 to 22 meters amid coral reefs off Umluj. Its recovered cargo featured commercial containers, pottery, coins, ceramics, tools, and navigational instruments. Another highlight was the Al-Shuaybah Islamic silver coin hoard, recovered from a shipwreck near the historic port of Al-Shuaybah and linked to serving pilgrims traveling to Makkah.

Beyond its treasures, the exhibition highlighted Saudi Arabia’s ongoing work to protect and document submerged cultural heritage. The Red Sea Museum operates under the Museums Commission of the Ministry of Culture, serving as a cultural institution dedicated to preserving the Red Sea’s history.

For residents and visitors in Jeddah, the exhibition offered a rare look at the maritime legacy that shaped the region’s connection to the wider world, reinforcing the role of Historic Jeddah as a living cultural destination.

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