Ceremonies of Ship Launching in Egypt between Past and Present
Tourism Promotion for Egyptian Marine Heritage
Abstract
In the Roman world, the sailors launched the “vessel of Isis”, into the sea to symbolize their opening of the shipping season. After the spread of Christianity, ship christenings or baptisms continued to include liturgical elements. In the Ottoman period, the Sultan had to attend ship launching ceremonies. In the 18th century, celebrations were held to launch many ships in Egypt, particularly the royal and military one. After reciting prayers and verse 41 of Surah Houd in Quran, the ship was launched through slipways. This paper aims to threw the light on the various ceremonies of ship launching in Egypt and approaches such ceremonies from a cultural perspective rather than a technical one. Launching the ships in Egypt reflects the diverse religious and cultural context of the Egyptian society along its long history. These ceremonial reenactments should be utilized for sustainability of local communities and in the field of tourism.
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