Dhow Factory, Ash Sharqiyah South Governorate, Oman

Dhow Factory, Ash Sharqiyah South Governorate, Oman 

Sur, Oman – The sound of hammers on teak and the whiff of co­conut oil invade the sens­es when visiting Sur, the same way it did for visi­tors of the Omani coastal town cen­turies ago. The sounds and smells come from the last remaining fac­tory that builds Oman’s traditional wooden boats, the dhows.

Boats have been built in Sur, on the shores of the Gulf of Oman, for thousands of years. The dhows, some capable of carrying up to 600 tonnes of cargo, sailed across the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean and even reached China.

Dhows are no longer used for the trade that led to Oman’s prosper­ity in ancient times and Sur’s boat builders no longer produce the gi­ants of the dhow family.

“The shipyard belongs to the family whose members have been building dhows for hundreds of years,” explains boat builder Jumaa bin Hassoun, one of the last oustaz (Arabic for “master”), a name used to designate lead carpenters in the old days.

Epic Oman Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound