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.[1] The mashoof's skinniness makes it an ideal vessel for navigating between the reeds and grasses of the marshes.[2]
Traditional mashoof building is close to extinction in modern Iraq, as a result of the draining of the Iraqi Marshes and the rise of gas-powered skiffs, which can carry heavier loads than a mashoof. Less than 50 mashoof manufacturers are left in southern Iraq, located mainly in the cities of Basra, Hillah and Kufa.[1] However, as the marshes have become re-flooded, mashoof use has slowly begun to return. Mashoof racing, particularly by women, has also returned to the marshes.[3]
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- ^ a b Bassem, Wassim (10 April 2018). "Iraqi boat-makers struggle to keep their trade afloat". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ حسن, فلاح (1 September 2014). "المشحوف .. مركب لابد منه في حياة الاهوار وعراقة تمتد لآلاف السنين (تقرير مصور )". جريدة الناصرية الالكترونية. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ Porter, Richard (2 June 2013). "Marsh flooding brings new life to Iraq's 'Garden of Eden'". BBC. Retrieved 17 June 2018.