A dhow is built using ancient carpentry techniques passed from shipbuilder to shipbuilder. The wooden planks of the hull are stitched together using rope - not nails - in the traditional method, though modern dhows may use nails. The triangular lateen sail is designed to catch wind from the side, which allows the ship to sail at an angle to the wind, not just with it directly behind.
Omani sailors used the seasonal monsoon winds - called the khareef in the south and the shamal in the Gulf - to time their voyages. They sailed south-west to Africa with one season's winds and came back north-east with the winds reversed months later. This required incredible knowledge of the sky, stars, waves, and weather patterns.
Oman's famous explorer and sailor, known as Ibn Majid, was one of the greatest navigators of the medieval world. He wrote detailed guides to the stars and sea routes. Omani navigation knowledge and dhow-building expertise made Oman one of the great maritime powers of the ancient world.
Today, dhow sailing is celebrated as a living craft. Craftsmen in Sur, a coastal town in Oman, still build dhows using traditional methods. The sight of a large dhow under sail, its triangular sail catching the wind, is one of the most beautiful images of the Omani coast.