Camel wrestling festival in Turkey's Selçuk

Camel wrestling festival in Turkey's Selçuk

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The two large camels stand face to face, sizing each other up, before throwing themselves head-first at one another… The contests take place in the western Turkish town of Selçuk, at a site just a few minutes from the Aegean coast.
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Each animal struggles to bite its adversary's feet to topple them, their long necks interlocking as the crowd cheers.
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More than 2,000 people, many settled around little tables for picnics, spur on their favorite to win.
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Camel culture in Turkey dates back to the Yörüks, a nomadic people whose ancestors were the ancient warrior Selçuks, who arrived in Anatolia during the 11th century.
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As the nomads settled, the camels were used for the transport of goods, mainly towards the western ports of Turkey.
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Nearly 90 such events have been organized to take place in the region from Çanakkale in the northwest to Antalya in the southwest between December and March.
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Everyone at the arena insisted that all necessary measures are taken to protect the camels, including tying a cord around their mouth to limit the opening and biting.
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The Selçuk festival, one of the most important, is held every year on the third weekend of January.
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On the first day, there was the beauty contest, on the second, the main event - the wrestling.
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The fights, for which there are no prizes, last a few minutes. They end after one camel manages to topple the other, or forces them to run away. Many of the duels end in a tie, with neither camel able to make the other submit.
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From early on in the day, the mostly-male audience enjoys their picnic with a glass of rakı, a strong aniseed-flavored liquor. But this does not prevent them from reciting verses from the Koran before the festivities begin. (Photos by Bülent Kılıç / AFP) For the news piece click: hry.yt/vMkc6

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