A traditional sailing vessel used on the Nile River in Egypt, characterized by lateen sails and a shallow draft suitable for river travel.
From Arabic origin, the word entered English during the colonial period when Westerners described Egyptian river boats; the term maintains its Arabic pronunciation in English.
Badarrahs are perfectly designed for the Nile—their shallow bottoms navigate narrow channels and their lateen sails catch even light breezes, which is why this design lasted thousands of years.
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