This Nile Dahabiya is a Floating Gallery of Egyptian Craft

On the Nile, where every turn recalls centuries of history, a new vessel brings a different story to Luxor’s waters. Nile Divine is a handcrafted dahabiya owned and designed by Karine Hassoun, conceived as a floating canvas of Egyptian heritage.
While she doesn’t come from a background in architecture or interior design, Hassoun’s roots in hospitality gave her a deep sense of storytelling through spaces. Her fascination with Egypt’s temples pushed her to visit them repeatedly. “The silence of those places became our source of creativity," Hassoun tells SceneHome. "What you see on board is our attempt to carry those voices forward.” Sketching columns, carvings, and patterns from these visits later found their way into her designs.
Symbolism is the language through which Nile Divine tells its story. Karine drew inspiration from the Valley of the Kings, where carved emblems once carried meanings of life, power, and rebirth. “I spent months researching temples, tombs, and museums. I wanted every furnishing onboard to carry intention,” Hassoun explains. From this research, each of the eight cabins became an immersive translation of an emblem: the Ankh for vitality, the Uraeus cobra for protection, the Sesen lotus for rebirth, the Palm Tree for abundance, the Seba star for guidance, the Scarab for regeneration, the Eye of Horus suite for healing, and the Akhet suite for light and creation.
Inside, the symbolism becomes tangible. Hand-painted walls, custom furniture, and fabrics from Egyptian artisans bring the motifs into a tactile present. The Eye of Horus suite carries its myth of healing into a bathtub designed for renewal, while the Akhet suite opens onto a balcony where Nile sunrises and sunsets replay the cycle of rebirth once carved into temple walls. The design approach is rooted in craft. Self-taught, Hassoun began by sketching furniture on paper before collaborating closely with Egyptian artisans. Every layer of the boat carries Egyptian materials and techniques. “The carpenter understood every sketch I made,” she says. “Together we turned ideas on paper into living pieces on the boat.”
Travertine and alabaster line the bar and cabins, echoing the vessels and statues once carved by ancient hands. Mosaic work by Amal Akhnoukh nods to the decorative traditions of Cairo’s historic craft districts. Hand-woven rugs, carved woodwork, pottery, and tapestries root the interiors in a continuity of Egyptian craftsmanship that stretches back millennia. Even the spa, fitted with Himalayan salt tiles, connects contemporary wellness to Egypt’s age-old pursuit of purity and balance.
Visual artist Alaa Abu El Hamd, a professor at Luxor’s Faculty of Fine Arts, hand-painted the walls of all eight cabins, depicting scenes inspired by his hometown. Sculptor Jamal Bassiouni and multi-disciplinary designer Hamed Mohamed Mostafa contributed site-specific works, making the boat a showcase signed by some of Egypt’s most celebrated contemporary artists.
Meals on board extend this commitment to authenticity. Local chefs prepare oriental dishes with ingredients sourced directly from Luxor and Aswan, served family-style to create a sense of communal gathering.