page_title: Mashoof
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Mashoof / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Iraqi fishermen travel along an irrigation channel in their mashoof fishing boat, on Dec. 19, 2008, in the Basra province, Iraq. العربية: يسافر الصيادين العراقيين في مشحوفهم على قناة ري في محافظة بصرة في العراق في ديسيمبر 19، 2008.
context_page_description: A mashoof, also transliterated mashuf, is a long and narrow canoe traditionally used on the marshes and rivers of southern Iraq. It was widely used by the Marsh Arabs, or Maʻdān, as a fishing boat, water taxi, and primary means of transportation for people and goods. The mashoof's skinniness makes it an ideal vessel for navigating between the reeds and grasses of the Mesopotamian Marshes.
  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. 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.
context_section_description: The mashoof dates back to ancient Sumer, c. 5,000 BCE. A mashoof was found in the ancient Sumerian city of Ur, and cylindrical reliefs from the Sumerian and Babylonian periods have been found depicting mashoofs (also pluralized mashāheef, مشاحيف, in Arabic).
  The mashoof forms an integral part of Marsh Arab culture, as it is their primary means of transportation. All Marsh Arabs have a mashoof of their own, including children. They use it for gathering reeds, fishing and hunting, tending to their water buffalo, and carrying passengers and cargo. Mashoof repairmen called gallaf are common in most Marsh Arab villages. The importance of mashoofs in southern Iraq makes them a common subject of poems, songs, and other tributes.
  In June 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi rode in a mashoof during a visit to Al-Chibayish, making him the first modern Iraqi leader to do so.
caption: Fishermen travel along an irrigation channel in a mashoof in Basra Governorate
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