When Napoleon invaded Egypt, the Mamluks rulers observed the Battle of the Pyramids from their dahabiya’s, and in the wake of defeat they set them alight in the middle of the river still laden with treasures. Always one to adapt to local practice, Napoleon even had his own dahabiya “the Italy” which was used by his officers to explore Upper Egypt.

During the 1920-1940’s it was commonly used during those elegant days of the monarchy when aristocrats, pashas, emirs, sultans and sophisticated travelers loved to cruise the Nile in style. Before the introduction of steam boats, the dahabiya was the most normal way for travellers to ascend the Nile and even after that they remained somewhat popular amongst the wealthy. It took from two to three months to ascend the Nile under wind power and another month-and-a-half to float back downstream, stopping at the great temples along the way. King Farouk, Churchill, Montgomery, Mark Twain and others settled in for the journey and a certain Lady Edwards even had a piano installed on her sailing vessel. The dahabiya's were popular amongst those who wished to enjoy Egypt at a leisurely pace, to drink in the landscapes and peruse the monuments and villages on the riverbanks.

We've revived those elegant days with modern comforts and conveniences