← Explore on the interactive map

Arab Dhow

Type Object Region Indian Ocean Time 600

The dhow is a general term for traditional wooden sailing vessels of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, known for lateen sails, shallow draft, and man…

Timeline

  1. 800Persian Gulf–Arabian Sea · Persian GulfArab and Persian shipwrights along the Arabian Sea coast developed a lateen-rigged, long-hulled wooden sailing type suited to sailing against the wind, forming a mature seafaring tradition linking the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and India's west coast.
  2. 1381–1390Mombasa–Calicut route · IndiaBetween 1381 and 1390, dhow fleets traveled with the monsoons between Mombasa, Kilwa, Hormuz, and Calicut, carrying ivory, gold, pepper, and cotton cloth, forming the maritime pillar of the Timurid-era Indian Ocean trade system.
  3. c. 1498–1600Goa · IndiaAfter Vasco da Gama reached India, European galleons entered the Indian Ocean; dhows still dominated local routes but faced competition from Portuguese armed trading fleets and route reorganization.
  4. c. 1900Sur, Oman · OmanDhows are still used for coastal fishing and tourism in Oman, Yemen, and some East African ports; their construction techniques are listed as intangible cultural heritage, continuing a millennium-old Indian Ocean seafaring tradition.

Sources