Ancient Egypt Boats

Ancient Egypt Boats

Boats were a big part of both travel and trade in Ancient Egypt because of the Nile River. There were many different kinds of boats, but the first boats were made of papyrus reeds. The reeds were bound with papyrus rope, which is made from reed fibers. This boat wasn’t in style forever. By 3200 BC, timber was being imported from Lebanon to build wooden ships instead.

They had ferries so people without boats could cross the Nile. These ferries carried people and goods across and along the river.

Royal boats allowed the pharaoh and his family to ride in style. A huge canopy protected the royal family from the sun and people staring at them.
The Egyptians even had cattle boats. These boats had wide flat decks for the cattle. The farmers would do almost anything to protect their cattle because their cattle was where most of their money came from.

 Sea Boats

Seagoing boats had to be bigger and stronger than riverboats, but they had almost the exact same basic design. Sea boats were usually made of cedar wood and called "Byblos-Boats."

Travel in Ancient Egypt

Egyptians did not travel often because they were suspicious of other places and thought it better to stay right at home. They were afraid that they would die in another place and not get the proper burial, leaving them unprepared for the Afterlife. But the Egyptians needed to travel so they could trade for things like gold, silver, copper, and other precious stones and metals. They also needed to travel to trade for strange animals like panthers, giraffes, monkeys, and lots of other things and animals.