Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, discovered a Pharaonic artifact in a northwest province of the world’s largest oil supplier, the tourism authority said.
The artifact had a hieroglyphic inscription of a signature from Ramses III, a king who ruled ancient Egypt between 1192 and about 1160 BC, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities said in statement on its website today. The object was found near Taima oasis in Tabuk province, it said.
An ancient trade route linked the Nile Valley to the oasis, the commission said. Egyptian trading caravans carried luxury goods, like incense, gold, silver and copper, from Taima, which is one of the kingdom’s largest archeological sites, it said.
The tourism commission is promoting its Red Sea coastline and historical sites, including Madain Saleh and Souq Okaz, as destinations for visitors, according to information on its website.
Saudi tourism revenue will reach $17.6 billion in 2010 and rise to $31.4 billion in 2015, the Saudi Press Agency reported in June.
The Pharaonic relic was found about four months ago, according to the commission’s statement. Taima oasis is one of the kingdom’s largest archeological sites, the statement said.
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