DID YOU KNOW…
Ancient Mariners Circled Africa Millennia Before European Explorers!
Long before Vasco da Gama's famous voyage, ancient Phoenician sailors are believed to have circumnavigated Africa around 600 BC, on an expedition commissioned by an Egyptian Pharaoh. This incredible journey predates recorded European exploration of the continent's coast by over two millennia.
According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt hired Phoenician mariners to undertake this audacious voyage. They reportedly set sail from the Red Sea, traveled south, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and eventually returned to Egypt via the Pillars of Hercules (Strait of Gibraltar). Herodotus famously noted the Phoenicians' claim that as they sailed westward around the southern tip of Africa, the sun appeared on their right (north), a detail that modern historians consider strong evidence of the veracity of their account. This accurate observation of the sun's position from the Southern Hemisphere solidifies the plausibility of this remarkable ancient maritime feat, a testament to early navigational prowess.
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