Ayn Sukhna — Southern Old Kingdom Harbour (Galala South Gallery)
Ayn Sukhna South Harbour · Wadi al-Jarf South Anchorage · Galala South Pharaonic Port
Old Kingdom (2650–2200 BCE)·Old Kingdom Egyptian·🇪🇬 Suez Governorate, Gulf of Suez, Ayn Sukhna southern Galala shore south of Wadi al-Jarf, Egypt
About
About Ayn Sukhna — Southern Old Kingdom Harbour (Galala South Gallery)
Southern Old Kingdom harbour gallery complex on the Galala southern shore south of Wadi al-Jarf, where Pharaonic Seafaring to Punt's southern anchorage now lies 1–2 m under beach cobbles and shallow reef east of the Galala limestone plateau. 8 m documented by 2013 Pierre Tallet excavations and 2018 Ifao underwater survey. Built c. 2550 BCE under Khufu and Sahure for Sinai copper and Punt incense voyages, southern galleries stored dismantled sewn boats.
Jetty handled copper ingots from Wadi Maghara.
Why it mattersSouthern gallery proves bipartite Ayn Sukhna port (north Wadi al-Jarf vs south Galala); Khufu cartouches and boat timbers date earliest sewn-plank seafaring and Punt route.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether south galleries are Khufu or Sneferu initial phase
- 02Attribution of copper anchors to Sinai vs Punt?
Theories
- 01South handled Punt incense, north handled Sinai copper
- 02Gallery sealing walls mark seasonal dismantling
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 2550 BCE Khufu galleries; southern jetty 2500 BCE Sahure
- Period
- Old Kingdom (2650–2200 BCE)
- Culture
- Old Kingdom Egyptian
- Builders
- Old Kingdom Egyptian (Khufu / Sahure)
- Purpose
- Sinai copper and Punt incense seafaring harbour for sewn boat assembly
- Abandoned
- c. 2200 BCE First Intermediate collapse + reef siltation
- Rediscovered
- 2008 Tallet galleries; south jetty 2013 Ifao diving
- Excavation
- Submerged
c. 2550 BCE
Khufu excavates 10 galleries for boat storage
c. 2500 BCE
Sahure builds 75 m southern limestone jetty
2013
Tallet-Ifao maps south jetty and anchor scatter at –1.8 m
On the ground
Structures & features
29.5950° N · 32.3550° E · 1 m · 3 mapped features
Limestone Jetty (75 m)
jetty75 m limestone jetty at –1.5 m southern Galala
29.5955° N · 32.3555° EGallery Caves (10 galleries, Khufu jars)
gallery10 rock-cut galleries 6 m deep at +1 m with jars
29.5950° N · 32.3550° ECopper Anchor Scatter
anchorsCopper anchors and boat timber scatter at –1.8 m
29.5945° N · 32.3552° E