Cape d'Azur (Tanzania, Zanzibar)

Under the triangular sail of a ngalawa , this traditional dhow without outrigger cuts through the turquoise waters of Zanzibar , perpetuating a thousand-year-old Swahili maritime heritage . Direct heirs of navigation between India, the Arabian Peninsula and the East African coast , these boats are handcrafted from local wood , often mninga or mkomafi, and rigged manually without industrial nails.

Still used today for coastal fishing and the transport of goods , these ngalawa are both subsistence tools and vectors of cultural transmission . Their refined shapes, hand-sewn sails and light buoyancy reflect a fine adaptation to coral reefs , monsoon winds and the local economy.

In Zanzibar, traditional shipbuilding is a discreet art, where each hull tells the story of a craftsman, a village, a sea that has become territory.