What killed the Nile boats? A study of contemporary maritime cultural material

Abstract

Since the early days of Egyptian civilisation, Nile riverboats played a crucial role in the forming of Egyptian society.
Despite the wealth of Egyptian history regarding Nile sailboats, however, traditional sailing boats on the Nile rarely caught the eyes of specialists. During the last three centuries, starting from the late 1700s, various types of sailboats have navigated the Nile. While some traditional designs have persisted, modernization and changing needs have introduced different vessels.
The study of traditional Egyptian boats and maritime traditions has always been to link the current traditions with the ones of Ancient Egypt in a leaner way, overlooking the changes that might have happened through time. During the early days of this research, it was sought to understand what aspects of Egypt’s maritime and riverine culture survive in the traditional ethnographic record. As a result, it hopes to provide a better understanding of the impact of modernization on local traditions and a more evident appreciation of some of the ancient Egyptian sailing traditions.

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ORCID for Julian Whitewright: orcid.org/0000-0002-3548-0978

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