The mtepe is a boat associated with the Swahili people. The mtepe's planks are held together by wooden pegs and coir, so it is a sewn boat designed to be flexible in contrast to the rigid vessels of western technique.
Extinction
The cessation of the production of mtepe has been ascribed to the arrival of the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean in the 15th century, leading to boat builders adopting alternative, western shipbuilding techniques. ==Preservation==
Preservation
Nearly a dozen photographs and nine known model mtepe have been preserved. One model is kept at the Science Museum, Kensington, London. ==See also==