Gufas and bellums on the Tigris

Gufa and Bellum boats awaiting hire on the River Tigris, which splits Baghdad, Iraq, in half. A gufa is a circular boat propelled by a pole or single paddle, rather like a coracle. This model represents a Baghdad gufa from 1930. The round basketry hull is constructed from ribs of wood from the pomegranate tree, interwoven with rope made from date-palm leaves and a rail of tamarisk roots. The outer surface of the gufa is made watertight by a coating of bitumen

Baghdad Bellum Boatmen Coracle Hire Iraq Iraqi Tigris

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