Egypt’s Red Sea Governorate has announced plans to establish the country’s first underwater military museum, reported local media outlets.
The announcement was made during a meeting on Monday held by Secretary-General of the Red Sea Governorate, Major General Mohamed El-Bandary, on behalf of the Governor of the Red Sea, Major General Amr Hanafi.
According to Egypt Independent, the project aims to establish the first museum of its kind in Egypt and Africa to combine three alternative diving sites in Hurghada, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Red Sea Reserves and civil society organisations.
The project will see the sinking of 15 pieces of military equipment in the Red Sea’s waters “each of which has a unique story and special importance,” the report said, and will be left in the three locations to serve as new diving sites in Hurghada: Sha`b Al-Saqala, Uruq Al-Tawil and Erq Jame.
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The move is scheduled to take place tomorrow in Hurghada’s tourist marina in the presence of Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment and a number of Arab environment ministers from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The establishment follows a similar initiative in Turkiye, which recently opened its first underwater museum in Antalya’s district of Manavgat. Aiming to attract both diving and history enthusiasts, the Side Underwater Museum exhibits 117 sculptures depicting Anatolian civilisation.