It was made in Egypt, probably Alexandria, commissioned for a Buddhist trader and placed in the local Isis Temple. The Berenice Buddha is in the Greek artistic traditions particularly the solar crown reminiscent of Apollo and Helios whilst the lotus was an important Egyptian symbol. Statue of Buddha recently found at Berenice “There is growing evidence of contact between Buddhist India of the early centuries CE and the Roman world- this image of the Buddha, probably sculpted in a workshop in Alexandria, was recently found at the Egyptian Red Sea port of Berenice.” said William Dalrymple, Scottish historian & art historian. The cargo was then carried on camels that conveyed the goods across the desert to the Nile, according to Waziri. Other ships then transported the merchandise to Alexandria and from there to the rest of the Roman Empire, he said. Ships from India arrived with products – such as pepper, semi-precious stones, textiles and ivory – and offloaded them at Berenice, he stated. Many ports during the Roman Period were established on the Red Sea coast of Egypt for trade. In this period Egypt was centrally located on the trade route that connected the Roman Empire to many parts of the ancient world, including India. Excavations this season at the site have shown a lot of important evidence to suggest the existence of trade links between Egypt and India during the Roman Period. The archaeological mission has been working at the site since 1994 under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Waziri added that several Roman Period harbors on Egypt’s Red Sea coast engaged in commerce, the most important being Berenice. He added that Egypt was at the center of a trade route that connected the Roman Empire with many areas of the ancient world, including India. The discovery happened during excavation work in the city’s ancient temple, Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, announced. Statue of Buddha unearthed at temple in Berenice in the Red Sea, Egypt.

Port discovery egypt