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Camel racing is the ancient traditional sport of the Bedouin.
Camels do not run fast in the beginning. The true test is if they run long distances. That kind of endurance is important for the pride of the tribes.
Camel races are usually held in the winter months, between October and April, but some smaller races are even held in summer.
Most camel races are regular races between Bedouin tribes.
Nowadays, in the area around Nuweiba some special camel races are held for tourists.
The camels usually run laps but sometimes they run a long distance on a sandy plain or in a Wadi.
The camels are followed by a pack of cars racing each other to get close to the camels and cheer on their favorite or relatives.
The jockeys are young boys around eleven years old. Some of them are taken one year away from their school to concentrate fully on their camels and the races.
They clearly have a great bonding experience with their fathers and uncles while they are a jockey and this is a serious business.
Gambling is forbidden in Islam so this is not done, but there are prices in cash for the winner and the numbers two and three.
When the larger camel races are held is published a few weeks in advance but it is confirmed only days before the race.
It is difficult to know when the small races are held and therefore it is difficult to plan attending a real camel race within your trip, if you do not have a flexibel travel plan.
You should know that attending a camel race is a huge dusty and sandy event and you often see litlle of the race itself, but from a cultural perspective it is fun and interesting to do.
Be careful, because many camera's have not survived the stewing sand and dust!
The Sinai is the land of the camel. It is a real special animal.
We can tell you all facts and wonderful stories about the camel.
It is great to see all the excitement on the faces when you are at the camelrace and this infects everyone who is there...
If you want to get an impression of the camel race held in El Tur, you can click at the top of this webpage on the tab:
IMPRESSION CAMEL RACE EL TUR
We hope that the information on our website has stimulated your appetite to travel inour Sinai and we hope to see you soon...
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