INGRESSO LIBERO – CONFERENZA IN LINGUA INGLESE

Intervengono

Alfonsina Russo, Direttore del Parco archeologico del Colosseo

Eisa Yousif, Sharjah Archaeology Authority General Director

Since ancient times, the Gulf region and the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula have been at the crossroads of trade routes between Europe and South Asia. The sea route linked Egypt, Rome, Greece, and Mesopotamia with India and Central Asia, bringing together not only merchants but also diverse cultures. The archaeological site of Mleiha is a model of this cultural connection in the central part of the Emirate of Sharjah in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula. In the desert about 50 km from the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, archaeologists have discovered an integrated city with fortified buildings such as a palace, a fort, dwellings, and human and animal burials. The total area extends 3 km. At the Mleiha site, two critical ports from the first century AD were discovered, namely Dibba Al-Hisn Port and Ad-Dur Port, which connect the site to the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. The important archaeological discoveries are evidence of this cultural connection, as the sources from which they were imported varied, some of which were imported. Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, Persia, and northern Arabia contributed to drawing the story of the road to Rome.