The Port of Adulis: Awakening an Ancient Giant as a Modern Theme Park Marvel

by Ezra Musa

A couple of months back, we made a family trip to Universal Orlando, a facility visited by millions of tourists every year. It was a fun-filled trip, but since then, my mind has been racing with a vision: creating something equally grand on our own soil—the Ancient Port of Adulis. Imagine telling the story of this ancient city-state, located in current-day Eritrea, through a world-class theme park that rivals the scale and immersion of Universal, Disney World, or Europa-Park.

Adulis was not just a dock; it was a “multi-regional core” that connected the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean. It is time we stopped letting its history be a mere footnote and start building its future as a global destination.

Vision: A Theme Park Like No Other

While Universal brings movies to life, Adulis: The Ancient Gateway would bring a lost civilization to life. We have a story to tell that is as thrilling as any Hollywood blockbuster. Based on research from the Eritrawi Podcast and the recent groundbreaking ERi-TV Documentary series “Facts vs Fairy Tales — Face to Face,” here is what an Adulis theme park could offer:

• The War Elephant Pavilion: Unlike any other attraction in the world, this zone would recreate the specialized “military technology” of the ancient world. Visitors could learn about the capture and training of the African forest elephant—the “ancient tanks” that made Adulis a “global arms dealer” of antiquity.

• The Aromatics Bazaar: Walk through a sensory recreation of the Land of Punt. This area would be a fragrant marketplace of frankincense and myrrh—the “indispensable resources” that once fueled the spiritual and medicinal life of Egypt and Rome.

• The Marble Throne & The High Court: A centerpiece of the park would be a reconstruction of the Throne of Adulis, carved from a single block of white marble. This was a symbol of “supreme legal governance” where justice was served for the entire region.

• The Architecture of Power: Using “graduated masonry”—a unique Eritrean engineering feat—the park would feature buildings designed to withstand the impact of five-ton elephants.

New Evidence: Facts vs. Fairy Tales

The importance of telling this story has been amplified in the past few weeks by a powerful new ERI-TV Documentary series, “ሓቅን ጽውጽዋይን ፊት ንፊት “ – “Facts vs Fairy Tales — Face to Face.” This series (currently in 4 parts and continuing) features experts who dismantle long-standing myths and present the geographical and historical reality of ancient Eritrea. These documentaries highlight that Adulis was a primary engine of civilization, emphasizing its independent sovereignty and strategic dominance long before it was ever associated with peripheral empires. This new wave of public diplomacy makes it more vital than ever to share the Adulis story with the world through an immersive medium like a theme park.

The Challenge: A Vision for the Near Future

I am challenging all Eritreans, both inside the country and across the diaspora: Let us commit to the Adulis Theme Park Project. In the next few years, we should aim to break ground on a facility that uses “digital twin” technology to reconstruct our heritage. This is about moving past “ideological traps” and “decolonizing our past” by showing the world the “complex political achievement” of our ancestors. We have the location, we have the story, and we have the talent. Just as Universal Orlando draws millions to see fictional worlds, let us draw the world to Eritrea to see a real one. The legacy of our ancestors is not a myth; it is a monument waiting to be built. Let Adulis rise again.

References & Further Learning About ancient Eritrea

Eritrawi Podcast Series:

ERI-TV Documentary: “ሓቅን ጽውጽዋይን ፊት ንፊት” –“Facts vs Fairy Tales — Face to Face”

• Part 1: Origins and Foundations –