A group of archeologists in the Kingdom have appealed for help to salvage three Turkish warships which were sunk off the Al-Qunfudha coast a century ago by Italian battleships, according to a report in Al-Watan Arabic newspaper. The experts said that a fourth ship has already been dismantled by a company which built the harbor in Al-Qunfudha. This has resulted in the loss of its historical value. Ghazi Bin Ahmad Al-Fakeeh, a researcher, said the ships belonged to the Ottoman Empire and were docked in the Al-Qunfudha harbor to protect the Ottoman barracks 100 years ago. He said Italian forces, which were fighting in favor of Muhammad Bin Ali Al-Idrisi, the ruler of Sabia, against the Turkish forces had destroyed these ships in 1912. He said the memoirs of Shafeeq Basha, the representative of the Ottoman Empire in Asir, related that the Italian battleships had attacked Al-Qunfudha harbor, sunk these four ships and captured another ship outside the harbor. He said the Italians had raided the houses of the residents in Al-Qunfudha and killed 25 people including women and children. Dr. Ahmad Al-Dhalaie, a member of the Consultative Committee at the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), said the commission was aware of the archeological importance of the ships and added that arrangements have been made for a salvage operation.
