Traditional wooden ships restored on Iran's Qeshm Island - in pictures

The lenj is part of the maritime landscape of the Middle East, like the dhows of the Arabian Peninsula

A traditional wooden ship, or lenj, being restored on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Arabian Gulf. All photos: AFP

Locals fear the wooden ships are being replaced by cheaper, faster boats.

The sturdy vessels, built by hand, have sailed Gulf waters for centuries

The lenj is part of the maritime landscape of the Middle East

Traditional wooden ships (lenj) are pictured on Iran's touristic Qeshm island in the Gulf, on April 29, 2023. From Muscat to Bandar Abbas via Dubai, the potbellied silhouette of the lenjs is part of the maritime landscape of the Middle East, just like that of the sailing dhows of the Arabian Peninsula. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

The small port is home to several shipyards specialising in their maintenance and repair

The disctinctively-shaped ships afloat in the Arabian Gulf

Inside one of the vessels

A half-built lenj propped on beams that will not be finished for lack of money

They are a draw for tourists to the island

Each lenj is unique and the ships vary in size

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