Oman · Wood / Hardstone Carving (boatbuilding)

Sur Al-Erimy Family Dhow Shipbuilding

Dhow (the general vessel type); baggala (a cargo-carrying vessel type); ghanjah (a fast dhow type used for war and trade)

The hand-construction of dhows, traditional Arabian sailing vessels, at Khor Al Batah, a natural harbor in Sur, one of the most historic boatbuilding centers in Arabia, where ships have been built or moored for more than 500 years. Sur became an important trade center with East Africa as early as the sixth century CE, later expanding across the Arabian Sea; Omani shipbuilders specifically perfected the construction of cargo-carrying baggalas and fast ghanjah dhows for war and trade, with the craft flourishing especially under the Al Bu Said dynasty in the 18th and 19th centuries as Omanis controlled significant Indian Ocean maritime trade and established trading posts from East Africa to India. Construction begins with a strong keel timber, around which shipwrights lay planks horizontally, gradually shaping the hull into the dhow's characteristic curved form entirely without formal building plans, working from full logs of wood according to the commissioning party's expectations; depending on vessel size, the process takes three to six months. Ghaf, a tree specifically noted for its ability to withstand and thrive in challenging environmental conditions, is a documented wood source for contemporary dhow construction. Aly Gomaa Al-Erimy, shipyard owner in Sur and directly interviewed for the documentary feature 'The Dhow of Time,' comes from a family that has built ships in Sur for three hundred years, with the youngest generation continuing to learn by observing hired craftsmen build the yard's two commissioned ships per year; Al-Erimy directly described the tradition as running 'like blood through our veins.' Dhow building experienced a formal renaissance in the 1970s when the Omani government launched heritage-preservation programs; today, contemporary vessels can cost customers up to 400,000 euros and are typically fitted with modern amenities including air-conditioned cabins and engines, most commonly purchased for tourism sailing trips, though buyers continue to specifically value the traditional carvings that make each ship unmistakable. To supplement declining boat-order income -- the workshop can produce only around two boats per year -- Sur's dhow-building workshops have documented pivoting to producing ornate wooden doors and chests, and orders occasionally come directly from the Sultan himself to help keep struggling workshops afloat.

Risk level: Critically Endangered · Not independently inscribed