The Sindbad Voyage of 1980–81 was an attempt by explorer Tim Severin to retrace the legendary sailor's route from Oman to China aboard a traditionally built sewn-dhow named Sohar — stitched together without a single nail, using coconut-fiber rope, following medieval Arab shipbuilding methods. The vessel completed the journey to Canton after nine months at sea, vindicating the practical plausibility of the ancient trade routes.
This 2003 issue commemorates that expedition more than two decades after the fact, part of Oman's sustained cultural program under Qaboos to position the sultanate as heir to its own maritime history.
The Sindbad Voyage of 1980–81 was an attempt by explorer Tim Severin to retrace the legendary sailor's route from Oman to China aboard a traditionally built sewn-dhow named Sohar — stitched together without a single nail, using coconut-fiber rope, following medieval Arab shipbuilding methods. The vessel completed the journey to Canton after nine months at sea, vindicating the practical plausibility of the ancient trade routes.
This 2003 issue commemorates that expedition more than two decades after the fact, part of Oman's sustained cultural program under Qaboos to position the sultanate as heir to its own maritime history.