An Unprecedented Dialogue Between Arabia and the Mediterranean
The Aden-Marseille Exhibition at La Vieille Charité
The Louvre and the Musées de Marseille present Aden-Marseille. D’un pont à l’autre (From One Bridge to the Other), an exhibition unveiling the forgotten connections between Arabia and the Mediterranean. Hosted at La Vieille Charité, it invites visitors on a unique journey bridging the historically significant ports of Marseille and Aden.
Historical and Cultural Connections
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Marseille served as a vital hub, linking the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Ships traveling between these regions carried more than goods—they transported ideas, knowledge, and stories. The exhibition explores this overlooked maritime corridor through rare archives, navigators’ logs, and forgotten works, illuminating a path where sailors, diplomats, and scientists met and exchanged cultures.
“The exhibition reveals the surprising links between the Phocaean city and the Yemeni port of Aden – forgotten works, rare archives, navigators’ accounts… A journey through a little-known maritime corridor, where diplomats, scientists and sailors crossed paths.”
Marseille as a Strategic Crossroads
Marseille’s port was a strategic point and a crucial bridge connecting two shores. This cultural odyssey showcases the port as the vibrant heart of Mediterranean history, highlighting the city's role as a crossroads of exchange and diplomacy spanning continents and centuries.
“From the XIXᵉ to the XXᵉ century, Marseille proved to be a strategic point, a crossroads of exchange and an essential bridge between the two shores.”
The exhibition offers an invitation to rediscover this lesser-known chapter of Marseille’s maritime adventure, emphasizing the enduring ties between Arabia and the Mediterranean.
Author’s summary: This exhibition reveals Marseille’s forgotten maritime links with Aden, uncovering shared history and vibrant cultural exchanges that shaped the Mediterranean region.