Fishing on the River Tigris

Charles William Cain

An image of fishermen at work on the Tigris in quffas, the wide river basin stretching flat and still into an invisible horizon. An ancient design, the quffa - also known as a kuphar - is a traditional, circular, flat bottom boat made of woven coiled reeds, sealed with bitumen to make it waterproof. It is thought to be the oldest vessel in the world, with roots in Mesopotamia, seen in Assyrian reliefs showing guffas carrying chariots.

The quffa is now an iconic symbol of Iraq and is still in use today, particularly in Baghdad, for fishing as well as for water taxis, shipping, and as ferries. However, river-based livelihoods are becoming extinct as the Tigris suffers from the effects of dams, severe ongoing drought, and pollution. This image, therefor, inadvertantly preserves a way of life that may no longer exist in the coming decades.