What is a dahabieh? And a felucca?

Dahabiehs and feluccas are two types of traditional Egyptian sailing boats. They are primarily river vessels and are widely used in the tourism industry today. At Filovent, the dahabieh is the flagship traditional sailing boat for our Nile cruises.

Dahabiehs are fairly large, ranging from 12 to 30 meters in length. They are also quite slender and were once used as a means of transportation during the Nile’s floods. They are propelled by two sails and are made of wood.

Felouques are smaller than dahabiehs and are not specific to Egypt, but common throughout the Arab world (particularly in the Middle East and the eastern Maghreb). They are 8 to 13 meters long and can be propelled by one or two sails.