The building of river boats is one of the old industries in Deir el-Zor that evolved over time and remained a main method of transport in the area.

Director of Deir el-Zor Department of Archeology Yasser Shouhan said knowledge about the old navigation paths in the river were handed down from one generation to the next all the way from the days of the old civilizations that lived on the banks of the Euphrates River during the 3rd millennium BC.

These ships were used to transport crops, livestock and various supplies across the river due to the difficulty of constructing bridges.

The original model of the boat is square, 3 to 6 meters long and made from mulberry wood. Some of the boats used ropes connecting the two banks and running through the middle of the boat similar to rope ferries, boat maker Walid Ismael said.

There were three small river ports in Deir el-Zor where boats docked and unloaded their cargo. In the times of floods, the boats are moved using paddles, and during dry seasons they were moved using long poles that are thrust into the river bed to push the boat along.

It was customary to built two boats at once, which were tied together to carry more supplies. Other shorter models were used for fishing, with current models substituting wood for metal which makes it easier to take them out of the water when they aren't being used.

Most local families, farmers and occupants of the region's small islands own their own small boats, which constitute their main mode of transport. There are also several people who own leisure boats for sailing around the Euphrates.

H. Sabbagh / Kh. Aridi  SANA