Conquering the Sea

The Beginnings of Sailing: Egyptian Sailing Boats

Horus’ eye

In Ancient Egyptian mythology Horus, depicted as a man with a falcon’s head, was worshipped as the god of the sky. A picture of his right eye, worn by Egyptians as a talisman, was thought to bring
good luck.

In prehistoric times, our ancestors were familiar with various materials which they later started using to build ships. Wood and reed floats on water, which helped people to cross rivers or to catch fish. Wood
turned out to be the most suitable material to build boats, either by hollowing out tree trunks by carving, or assembling planks of wood, a method that is used even today for the construction of wooden ships.

The invention of the sail opened a new chapter in the history of
maritime travel. The first evidence of the use of sails, in ancient Egypt, dates back to 3000 BC. By 1400 BC Egypt had became a major centre
of shipbuilding in the then known world.

Brace

The position of the sail could be controlled
with the tightening or loosening of the rigging on the windward side of the sail to take advantage of
the force of the wind.

The power of the wind

When navigating downstream, they relied on the river’s current, and when sailing
upstream they used
the wind blowing from the sea.

Boats were steered by steering oars.

Halyard

The sail was raised with the help of a halyard, which was attached to the mast.

The papyrus reed grew in abundance along the Nile. It was a few centimetres in diameter, and its length could reach up to 5 meters. It was used for making paper, clothing, ropes
as well as for building boats and houses.

Square sail

Ancient Egyptian sailing boats were equipped with one mast, that stood in
the middle, with a square sail set on it. The sail was made of papyrus, but
later it was woven from cotton.