Building Iranian Lenj boats: A traditional skill in the Persian Gulf

Iranian Lenj is a wooden handmade type of boat that is traditionally built in the coastlines of the Persian Gulf.

In 2011, the traditional skills of building and sailing Lenj boats were inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritages.

Structurally speaking, Iranian Lenj boats are sailboats armed with an engine instead of sail to move on.

Being derived from the English word of ‘Launch’, Lenj boats usually have an open or semi-open deck that is used for diving, fishing, pearl fishing, trading and transporting goods depending on its size.

Studying the ruins of the ancient Siraf port in Iran’s Bushehr Province shows that marine trade and the related businesses were popular in Iran since the Sassanid Empire.

Today, the life, identity, and culture of the local inhabitants are directly intertwined with the sea as Lenj building makes one of the regional authentic arts.  

The methods and skills of Lenj making are usually passed on from generation to generation. It is a process that is accomplished without blueprints and solely by hand and from memory.

Constructing a Lenj boat takes around two years to accomplish. However, the skillful efforts of boat builders pay off as the lifespan of an Iranian lenj boat is about 100 years.  

The interesting part in making a Lenj boat is when sailors and workers sing special local songs during the construction of Lenjes.

According to visitiran.ir, “The traditional Lenjes were built of jungle woods resistant to moisture, the trunks of local trees such as Gum Arabic tree, Mesquite, Jujube and nonlocal trees as Berry and Plane as well as an Indian high-quality wood namely "sāy" which was used for the body of vessels.”

Making a trip to the southern coastlines of the Persian Gulf, you can witness these hard-working Iranians and their unique skills.

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