Swahili Dhow Culture
© National Geographic Yourshot (Editors' Favourite, July 2019). Story and assignment: “Rites of Passage.
Swahili racing teams come together several times a year to compete in traditional hand-crafted Arabic-styled Mashua dhows in the Lamu Archipelago just off Kenya's northern Swahili Coast.
Intense village rivalries build over the years, often reaching pitch fever on race day. This magnificent racing dhow and crew are in the lead as they move into the final leg of the race. They are the ultimate winners and will return to their village on the island of Pate with team bragging rights and a certain village swagger that will likely last several months until the next race.
Six crewmen in the lead dhow are perched on an adjustable plank that hangs out over the choppy waters for added balance, speed, and stability. About sixteen young crewmen all together are crowded into each dhow to give the necessary weight, balance and stability against a stiff coastal trade wind.
The ubiquitous trade winds have been instrumental in the evolution of Swahili culture and commerce over the years since it was first established in the 14th Century as an Omani trading outpost and settlement on the classic coastal run between Zanzibar and the Arabic world further to the north.
The art of Swahili dhow racing requires considerable team skill as the dhows tack and manoeuvre back and forth through the Manda channel and ultimately out to the edge of the open sea. The finest dhows are selected from each village to race under sail through a complicated series of buoys, combining speed and balance with elaborate tacking and maneuvering competence.
The races are usually organized in conjunction with a cultural festival or an Islamic religious holiday. This Shela-based race on the island of Lamu is organized yearly by Peponi's on New Year's Day.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved.
Swahili Dhow Culture | Social Documentary | Kenya’s Swahili Coast
Swahili Dhow Culture
© National Geographic Yourshot (Editors' Favourite, July 2019). Story and assignment: “Rites of Passage.
Swahili racing teams come together several times a year to compete in traditional hand-crafted Arabic-styled Mashua dhows in the Lamu Archipelago just off Kenya's northern Swahili Coast.
Intense village rivalries build over the years, often reaching pitch fever on race day. This magnificent racing dhow and crew are in the lead as they move into the final leg of the race. They are the ultimate winners and will return to their village on the island of Pate with team bragging rights and a certain village swagger that will likely last several months until the next race.
Six crewmen in the lead dhow are perched on an adjustable plank that hangs out over the choppy waters for added balance, speed, and stability. About sixteen young crewmen all together are crowded into each dhow to give the necessary weight, balance and stability against a stiff coastal trade wind.
The ubiquitous trade winds have been instrumental in the evolution of Swahili culture and commerce over the years since it was first established in the 14th Century as an Omani trading outpost and settlement on the classic coastal run between Zanzibar and the Arabic world further to the north.
The art of Swahili dhow racing requires considerable team skill as the dhows tack and manoeuvre back and forth through the Manda channel and ultimately out to the edge of the open sea. The finest dhows are selected from each village to race under sail through a complicated series of buoys, combining speed and balance with elaborate tacking and maneuvering competence.
The races are usually organized in conjunction with a cultural festival or an Islamic religious holiday. This Shela-based race on the island of Lamu is organized yearly by Peponi's on New Year's Day.
© All rights to these photos and descriptions are reserved.
Swahili Dhow Culture | Social Documentary | Kenya’s Swahili Coast