SS Turkia

 A very similar vessel to the Thistlegorm, she was also sunk by explosion and was also carrying war materials. . She is currently well out of the range of most safari boats and took a 12 hour journey from the entry to the Gulf of Suez to reach her half way up the gulf. Built in Hull (England) in 1909 as the LIVORNO (2), she was a schooner rigged steam cargo ship of 1671 tonnes gross, 300ft long and a 42 ft beam. Clinker built by Earles Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. (yard no. 562), she was fitted with a reciprocating, triple expansion steam engine and able to make 9.5 knots. She has 4 bulkheads and a cruiser stern, single shaft and propeller. She was built for Thomas Wilson Sons & Co, again of Hull.

Upon completion in 1910, she was deployed in a variety of trades, serving between Hull, London and the Adriatic in her first year. In 1911 between Hull, Constantinople, Novorossick and Odessa and between St Petersburg and Cronstadt. In 1916 she was employed in the Hull–Trieste run. On the eve of the start of WW1 she was engaged in the Manchester-Liverpool to St Petersburg, Revel/Riga trade, making 6 voyages in all. After the war she was involved in a variety of routes carrying perishable fruits and bulk cargos such as coal.

Her final voyage was in May 1941 when she departed from New York with cargo of steel cables, metal ingots, tyres, vehicles, small arms and explosives, destined for Pireaus, Greece. Due to Axis powers having control of Straights of Gibralter the ship was forced to make a long voyage round southern tip of Africa to Suez Canal.

On 17 May 1941 she suffered a fire in no 3 hold and sank near Zafarana in 24m of water.

The wreck does not compare with the Thistleform, which is a world reknowned dive site but is an interesting wreck and has it's own story to tell.