Owners distraught as historic Nile houseboats are removed

A general view as authorities work to move or remove houseboats on the River Nile what they say are unlicensed units in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, Egypt June 28, 2022. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

CAIRO (Reuters) - Owners of the Nile's famous houseboats in the heart of Egypt's capital are having their homes demolished and towed away as authorities impound what they say are unlicensed dwellings.

The boats, many of them elegant two-story structures with verandas, have been moored for decades along the tree-lined banks of the Nile between the island of Zamalek and Giza, just west of central Cairo.