Mashoof

A mashoof (Arabic: مشحوف), also transliterated mashuf, is a long and narrow canoe traditionally used on the Mesopotamian Marshes and rivers of southern Iraq.

It was widely used by the Marsh Arabs, or Ahwaris (عرب الأهوار), as a fishing boat, water taxi, and primary means of transportation for people and goods.

[5]: 36 The mashoof forms an integral part of Marsh Arab culture, as it is their primary means of transportation.

However, the United Nations Environment Programme and reformed Iraqi government have also stepped in and have restored most of the marshes by 2008, enabling the mashoof to return to use.

[9][10] Mashoof can be made from many different materials, including the reeds or papyrus that grow in the Marshes and wood from trees such as mulberry, cedar and Jasmine.

Cotton fills the gaps between the wooden panels, and the whole thing is then coated in pitch and tar to prevent leaking.

[11]: Return to Qabab  Historically, mashoof building was concentrated in the towns of Al-Chibayish and Huwair and in settlements on the banks of the Shatt al-Arab, especially Abu Al-Khaseeb,[5]: 68  and was practiced primarily by Mandaeans.

[6] Still larger mashoofs, called giood or anya, are used for navigating large waterways like the Tigris and Euphrates and Shatt al-Arab.