Winged (Tanzania, Zanzibar)

On the turquoise coast of Zanzibar, traditional dhows– or boutres– embody a living memory of the maritime civilization of the Indian Ocean. These lateen-rigged sailing ships, which appeared over a thousand years ago, shaped the trade routes that stretched from East Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, India, and China. Much more than means of transport, they were vectors of linguistic, religious, and artistic crossbreeding, giving rise to Swahili culture, a crossroads between Africa, Islam, Persia, and the Indian subcontinent.

The influence of this naval technology did not stop at the shores of the Indian Ocean: the European caravelsof the 15th century, used during the Great Discoveries, were directly inspired by this triangular sail, which was effective in contrary winds.

Even today, each dhow is built by hand, without industrial nails, with wooden pegs and coconut fiber ropes. No plans are drawn: everything is passed down orally, in the gestures of the shipwrights, often from father to son.