Memories of the Tigris Flotilla expedition in its 10th anniversary year

Stage 1: 15 km from Hasankeyf and then from Feyshkhabour on the Syrian-Iraqi border to the Mosul reservoir lake, September 13-25, 2013.

The Tigris Flotilla gathered in the ancient town of Hasankeyf, known as a trade hub between east, west, south and north since ancient times, now flooded by the Ilisu Dam after 13,000 years of continuous settlement.

Rashad joined a diverse crew including members of Nature Iraq, Waterkeepers Iraq-Kurdistan, Humat Dijlah, and other activists, local people and reporters, paddling the river in reconstructed traditional boats (Guffa coracle, Tarada canoe and Kelek raft) to raise awareness of the natural and cultural heritage of the river Tigris and the threats it faces.

Originally just a brief photo-opportunity was planned, but as most attendees prepared to return home after the event, Rashad proposed an expedition onwards down the Tigris, and gathered a volunteer crew for the first stage, under the supervision and logistical support of Nature Iraq.

In upcoming posts we’ll glimpse the different stages of their journey from Turkey all the way to the marshlands of southern Iraq. During this voyage Rashad was inspired to re-imagine the Ark: a vision which led to the founding of Safina Projects in 2017 and our ongoing work studying Iraq's traditional watercraft and reviving their use through our network of Heritage Boat Clubs.