Adulis
/əˈduːlɪs/noun
An ancient Red Sea port and trading center located near present-day Zula in Eritrea.
Did you know?Adulis appears in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and was connected to long-distance trade reaching Egypt, Arabia, India, and the Roman world.
Etymological Timeline
1st Century CE
Greek
Ἄδουλις (Adoulis)
“The Greek name recorded for a Red Sea port on the coast of present-day Eritrea.”
1st Century CE
Greek
Adulis
“A commercial harbor described in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, exporting goods such as ivory and tortoiseshell.”
4th–6th Centuries CE
Geʽez / Aksumite
Adulis
“A major port associated with the Aksumite kingdom and its maritime trade.”
16th Century
European accounts
Adulis
“The ancient harbor identified in geographical and historical writings about the Red Sea and Aksum.”
Modern English
English
Adulis
“The archaeological site and ancient port in Eritrea; the ultimate origin of the place-name remains uncertain.”