Bedouins. Perpetual motion

(Arabic: البدو قرية; English: Bedouin villages)

Where is: Several Bedouin villages are located along the perimeter 10 - 30 km from Hurghada.

How to get there: You can get to Hurghada by jeep or quad bike. There is a more exotic way - go through the desert to the Bedouins on a camel, but due to the fact that these animals are extremely slow, you can get to the village all day. Attention: Due to the extraordinary mentality of the Bedouins, and their own laws and regulations, it is not recommended to visit Bedouin villages on your own, without a local guide or guide. The best and safest way to get to a Bedouin village is to buy a tour in Hurghada.

Bedouins are the inhabitants Arab world who lead a nomadic lifestyle, regardless of their nationality or religious affiliation. This is one of the most ancient peoples on earth, and one of the most ethnically pure. These nomadic Semitic tribes living in the desert are at least 4 - 5 thousand years old, and until recently they did not mix with anyone. Only in the 6th century did the pagan Bedouins convert to Islam and begin to speak Arabic. It was from then on that mixed marriages between Bedouins and Arabs appeared.

It is not possible to calculate the total number of Bedouins in the world, both due to their nomadic lifestyle and persistent non-participation in population censuses. The Bedouins, to this day, have preserved their ancient customs and way of life. They are fully confident in their high origin and nobility of blood. The poorest Bedouin will consider it humiliating to give his daughter to a wealthy man. Among the Bedouins hard life: They wander from place to place, live in tents, and have no electrical appliances. But the most important thing is that there is very little water in the desert, so they use water sparingly and make wells to store water.

Bedouin village on the map

The Bedouins are divided into tribes, each of which is ruled by a sheikh. A tribe is a group consisting of a number of clans. Each clan contains distinct families that trace their ancestry back to a single source. Each clan has its own wells, pastures and lands. Also, clans are further divided into groups, each of which performs different functions within the tribe, such as herding and raising cattle, leadership and trading functions, and so on. The sheikh is the leader of the tribe and has significant influence: he makes sure that the tribe always adheres to traditional customs and carried out the advice of the elders of the tribes. The sheikh is the representative of his tribe, and is often the one called upon to resolve disputes or act as a negotiator to resolve differences. The title of sheikh is inherited from father to son.

Bedouin houses stand in the desert at a distance of approximately 10 meters from each other; Bedouins lay sacks on the roofs, this protects them from rains, which occur in the desert approximately 10 times a year, and last for 2 - 3 hours. Inside each house there are two rooms: a living room and a bedroom. Bedouins have few things, mainly various dishes, plates, clothes, pillows and a small stove. There is no television or other electrical appliances in the houses.

In summer, the desert is hot during the day and cold at night. The difference between summer and winter temperatures sometimes reaches 40 degrees, so at night nomads cover themselves with fur blankets. Sometimes they put a stove in the room to keep it warm.

Life in the desert without water is, of course, impossible, so when the Bedouins wander, they look for a place where there is water underground and choose this place to camp. Previously, they dug wells manually with shovels, so the depth was on average 15 - 20 meters, but now they dig not by hand, but with the help of an excavator machine, so the depth of such wells is 35 - 40 meters. Every day, at dawn, the villagers fill large vessels with water, where it must settle, and then use it for drinking and cooking, with water from the same well, the Bedouins wash and do laundry. Bedouins are helped to find a place where there is water and can dig a well by camels, which can live without water for 10 days. After about 10 days, the camel, which has not drunk for a long time, lies down in a place where there is water underground and lies motionless. Bedouins mark this place with icons. Here they will dig a well.

The camel is a sacred animal for the Bedouin. Each Bedouin tribe has its own cemetery for camels, when a camel dies, the Bedouins bury it in this cemetery.

Bedouin men and women traditionally have different roles in society. Bedouin men typically earn a living for their families. Some of them work as safari guides, drivers, some own shops, some are involved in construction or in the service sector. Traditionally, Bedouin women weave a tent for their family, from goat or camel hair, and are responsible for building and erecting the tent if the family moves to new lands. Women work mainly in the house, busy with household chores, family and livestock of goats, sheep, camels. Many are skilled in the craft of making beautiful things such as carpets, necklaces, bracelets and burkas. These are, as a rule, things embroidered or decorated with beads, sparkles and coins using traditional techniques passed down from generation to generation. Local flora and fauna are reflected in the intricate designs and patterns used in the work.

The clothing of the Bedouins is also quite remarkable. Men wear long shirt-dresses “jalabeyya”, mainly white, and on their heads they put “smugg” (red- white scarf, otherwise called “arafatka”), or “aymemmu” (white scarf), sometimes held in place by a black rim (“agala”). Women usually wear bright Long Dresses, but when they go outside the house they dress in “abayas” (long black cloak dresses, sometimes covered with shiny embroidery). When leaving their home, they always cover their heads with a “tarkha” (black scarf).

The Bedouins are excellent hosts and are well known for their hospitality, part of a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation. They will definitely offer the famous Bedouin tea, brewed from tea leaves, and desert herbs “khabak” and “marmarea”. Typically, tea is prepared over a fire as soon as the guest arrives, and stories and news are exchanged with him. And traditional food is delicious Bedouin bread cooked over an open fire, as well as rice, meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Bedouins pay special attention to food preparation, and the food served to guests is always considered as special, an important event. According to Bedouin custom, food, water and a place to sleep are provided to all travelers and guests, and if necessary this period can be up to three days. Usually this time is enough to gain strength and continue the journey through the desert.

Bedouins have a close connection with the natural world. They know a storm is coming before it even starts, or when a wild animal approaches their home. Living in harmony with nature is a very natural way to maintain your faith. Tribal law prohibits the destruction of living trees, the penalty for this may be a fine consisting of 3 two-year-old camels or their monetary equivalent. The Bedouins say: “Killing a tree is like killing a soul.”

The Bedouin's knowledge of herbal medicine is unusually deep, and since ancient times this has been their only source and hope for healing for diseases in the desert. They know medicinal herbs very well, collect them and dry them. They know what to drink for colds, headaches, poisoning, what to do for rheumatism and other diseases. One of the most popular medicines Bedouins use camel milk. It is used for ailments such as indigestion, indigestion, circulatory and musculoskeletal problems. Medicinal plants used by Bedouins in treatment have a very effective effect on the human body.

Bedouins love to hunt; in the desert there are gazelles, wolves, hares, and birds. Bedouins also catch scorpions to have poison for embalming. They use poison to stuff wolf, fox, owl, peacock, eagle and other killed animals.

Today's Bedouins are Muslims. If a Bedouin wants to get married, he first chooses a small free territory and builds a house of reeds on it, then pays a bride price for the girl: he gives the girl’s family several camels or money. If he wants to have a second wife, he builds another house, a hundred meters from the first house, and again pays the bride price - this is how a Bedouin can have four wives. In this case, he lives with one wife for a week, then with another for a week, and so on, that is, he lives with all the wives in turn. The Bedouins practice polygamy, of course, if the head of the family can support all his wives: provide financially and not neglect any of them with care and affection.

And if a Bedouin wants to marry a girl from another tribe, he must talk to the elder of that tribe. If the elder agrees, this girl will have to live in the tribe of her future husband. The man needs to pick up the girl from her tribe, and on horseback get to his tribe faster than the head of her family. If he doesn't come first, then he doesn't deserve her, and he can't marry her.

Bedouin weddings are celebrated widely and very solemnly, and are usually held during full moon, and can last from 2 to 5 days, with most of the festive activities taking place at night. The families of the bride and groom, and practically all relatives, gather for the wedding. The tables are set and guests are generously treated to food, including mensaf and coffee. Sometimes a whole roasted camel is served (the largest wedding dish in the world). This dish can be compared to Russian nesting dolls: fish stuffed with boiled eggs is placed inside chickens; chickens - into roast sheep; sheep - into a whole roasted camel. These days, the bride and groom change the color of their wedding clothes, the bride wears White dress, and the groom wears a black suit.

One of the highlights of the wedding includes a special night of dancing and live music. At the wedding unmarried women They use the chance to choose their future husband by dancing in front of potential suitors. This is perhaps one of the few times of the year when young men and women have the opportunity to socialize in the hope of finding love. Guests are entertained by dancing and camel racing through the desert.

Everyone always gives gifts to the newlyweds: clothes, jewelry, household utensils, furniture and much more. At the end of the celebration, the bride is placed on a wedding stretcher mounted on a camel and taken to her husband’s house.

The birth of a child in a family is a whole event. In honor of the newborn, the Bedouins perform a special ceremony: they sacrifice a calf or lamb, and distribute the meat to neighbors and the needy. A woman can freely leave her husband if she believes that he is not taking good care of her. She retains the right to marry again. Children stay with one of the parents by agreement.

Many modern Bedouins, just like their ancestors, lead a nomadic lifestyle, driving herds of camels, goats and sheep across the desert in search of new pastures. But enough most of Bedouin is exclusively engaged in serving tourists, showing them “the real way of life and customs of the Bedouins.” For this purpose, entire fake villages are built, where tourists can get acquainted with the way of life of the Bedouins. Here you can see the technology of baking unleavened flatbreads, ride a camel and taste Bedouin food.

A huge number of tourists from all over the world, wanting to look at the Egyptian wonder, come to Bedouin settlements every day. And Egypt's Bedouins have long learned to benefit from the tourism boom. It is precisely because of the rapidly developing tourism that the number nomadic Bedouins today has decreased noticeably, and the real problem is maintaining this unique story and culture in our modern crazy world.

Tours to Egypt – special offers of the day

• Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia : 1 167 000
• Libya Libya: 941 000
• Egypt Egypt: 910 000
• Jordan Jordan: 881 000
• UAE UAE: 846 000
• Morocco Morocco: 150 000
• Tunisia Tunisia: 118 000
• Israel Israel: 115 000
• Syria Syria: 100 000
• Lebanon Lebanon: 49 000
• Palestine Palestine: 19 000
• SADR SADR: 12 800

In Israel

Currently, the number of Israeli citizens of Bedouin origin is approaching 150 thousand people. Israeli Bedouins are divided into “southern” and “northern” Bedouins, who differ significantly in their culture. A minority of them (“northern”) have settled in the north of Israel (the settlements of Al Gheib, Zarazir) over the past one hundred to one hundred and fifty years and are traditionally engaged in agriculture. The bulk of Israeli Bedouins (“southern”) live in the Negev Desert, and their main occupation since ancient times has been nomadic livestock raising (mainly sheep breeding). Their traditional attire is the galabeya, a white tunic, and the keffiyeh, a headdress made of cloth and two cotton hoops. Women traditionally cover their faces with a burka, a scarf decorated with coins, gold or copper pendants. Embroidery color on women's clothing determined by their status. Red is worn by married women, blue or blue by unmarried women.

Israel, throughout its history, has pursued a policy towards the Bedouins aimed at settling the Bedouins in permanent places residence and termination of their nomadic lifestyle. For this purpose, Bedouins who decide to leave their nomadic lifestyle are provided with a number of benefits and privileges. As a result, the bulk of Israeli Bedouins moved to villages. The first of them (Tell Sheva) was founded in 1974. In addition, in the Negev (mainly in the Beersheba region) there are Bedouin villages with a population of thousands (Segev Shalom, Lakia, Hura, Arroer). However, the most successful project turned out to be the village of Rahat, founded in 1974 not far from the Beer Sheva - Tel Aviv highway. Currently, Rahat is home to 45 thousand inhabitants (a third of all Israeli Bedouins), and this Bedouin village has received city status. The Bedouins who settled in settlements organized by the Israeli government (the so-called “legal Bedouin settlements”), almost all switched from raising sheep to modern professions. IN last years Among them, the number of those with higher education is rapidly growing. Many of them (especially the residents of Rakhat) successfully went into business. But a small number of Israeli Bedouins continue to lead a traditional nomadic lifestyle to this day, and periodically change their place of residence (the so-called “illegal Bedouin settlements”: al-Butim, ad-Denirat and others).

Bedouins serve in the Israeli army, being drafted there on a voluntary basis. Approximately 50% of Bedouins serve today in the IDF. Bedouin soldiers serve in combat and elite units in the most difficult and dangerous areas. There are also many Bedouins in the border guards and police. There is also a Bedouin GADSAR battalion (Bedouin Pathfinder Battalion), which is part of the Southern Military District, a Bedouin rescue battalion under the Israeli Army Logistics Command, and others. Their knowledge of the terrain, keen eyesight and natural qualities of desert warriors make the Bedouin very useful in reconnaissance and patrolling. As a rule, the גשש (“gashash” - Bedouin tracker) walks ahead of the military column, identifying mined areas based on signs only clear to him. From a broken branch, from a barely noticeable footprint in the sand, a Bedouin can understand where and when the enemy passed, and where he can wait for an ambush. They are also capable of organizing an ambush in such a way that it is a complete surprise for the enemy.

The Bedouins have long had a tradition of blood feud, especially since conflicts between tribes and hammouls were not uncommon. There is also a traditional mechanism for resolving conflicts between tribes and hammouls in Bedouin society. In these cases, the sheikhs of the tribes not participating in the conflict agree on material compensation for the damage caused and, after payment, “sulkha” (translated as “forgiveness”) is declared, after which the conflict is considered settled. Among the Bedouins there is also a custom called "moar". Its essence is as follows: before the wedding, the groom’s family pays the bride’s parents a pre-agreed amount of money, which is used to buy jewelry for the bride.

In order to understand who the Bedouins are, it is necessary to penetrate into the history, life, and way of life of these people. By the way, their name does not designate a specific nationality, but indicates only a free way of life. A Bedouin is a desert dweller who wanders from place to place. This is what Europeans decided to call all the inhabitants of the Arab world. Translated from Arabic, "Bedouin" is a "nomad" or "desert dweller".

"Children of the Desert" were never tied to one place, regardless of their nationality or religion. Nomads developed territories with rather harsh climate conditions.

History of development and religion

A Bedouin is usually a native of the Arabian Peninsula. It is this land that is considered their primitive homeland. Subsequently, the nomads spread across the Egyptian and Syrian deserts. And after the Muslim Arabs conquered Africa in the 7th century, the Bedouins settled throughout the Sahara Desert, as a result of which these lands became the second homeland of nomads. Being warlike, the Bedouin tribes gradually conquered new territories. And by the end of the 7th century, the lands of the nomads increased significantly and extended from Persia to the Atlantic Ocean.

In order to understand who the Bedouins are by religion, it is necessary to go back several thousand years. As is known from historical sources, originally they were pagans, but later, around the fourth century, the Bedouins began to profess Christianity. Three centuries later, the nomads converted to Islam and began to speak Arabic.

Ways of self-government

The Bedouins, like most tribes, have a hierarchy, with the sheikh as the head. This person is considered the elder of the clan; it is he who deals with all organizational issues of the tribe and resolves various conflicts. Interestingly, this title is passed down exclusively through the male line.

Also in Bedouin society there is no last role plays “qadi” (a man of clergy, military leader and judge). His responsibilities also include conducting the marriage process.

Bedouin is a desert nomad

The main place of residence of the Bedouins is the Syrian and Arab Peninsula, as well as the Sahara Desert, located in North Africa. Nomads have always preferred to live in arid areas, while most other peoples chose territories with a milder climate and settled near rivers and reservoirs.

Desert inhabitants live in many countries around the world, including Israel, Egypt, and Jordan. And also in countries such as Tunisia, Morocco, Libya and others.

Taking into account the fact that these are constantly nomadic people, conducting a census of them is quite problematic. Therefore on this moment the figure of 4.5 million Bedouins is considered arbitrary. It indicates the approximate number of all nomads in the world. More than one million Bedouins live in Syria. The largest clan in this country is the Ruwalla tribe.

Desert culture

The Bedouins have ancient tradition after all, conflicts between tribes were not uncommon. In this regard, in the course of history, based on the way of life and religiosity, a mechanism for resolving conflicts has been formed. This issue is directly dealt with by the sheikh if ​​warring parties turn to him. The head sets the amount of moral compensation, and after its payment the incident is considered settled.

The Bedouins, like other tribes, form their political and social structure on a patriarchal basis. All nomads are divided into “hamulla” clans and tribes. They live in clans in huts and tents, and in each clan there can be more than forty villages. The Bedouins (photos of them are presented to your attention in the article) are considered excellent hunters and excellent riders, as well as interesting storytellers and good dancers.

Camel - food or means of transportation?

Due to frequent migrations, the Bedouins use a limited amount of everything they need, and the reason for this is the peculiarity of their way of life. Only camels are suitable for moving and transporting goods across deserts, which limits the possibility of transporting large volumes. For the same reason, Bedouin tents are quickly assembled and dismantled. They mainly consist of panels made from sheep wool, which are easily laid on a frame of poles and poles.

The main activity of the nomads is the breeding of camels, goats and sheep. For these people, the camel is a rather valuable animal. It serves both for transporting goods and for riding. At the same time, the two-humped animal supplies its owners with wool and is also a valuable item for sale.

One of the most important products of the Bedouin daily menu is considered

Supplements to the diet include rice, dates, sorghum and wheat flour products. Nomads eat meat exclusively on holidays and other special celebrations, for which they slaughter a sheep and cook it over an open fire. Peppermint tea and coffee are their favorite hot drinks.

Most modern Bedouins, like previous generations, continue to lead a nomadic lifestyle, engaged in farming and raising livestock. But many of them these days are mainly engaged in serving tourists. While demonstrating to them “the life and customs of the Bedouins.” To a greater extent, this is characteristic of the Egyptian and Sinai nomads. As for the Israeli Bedouins, they received assistance from the state in the form of benefits and privileges, thanks to which most of them settled down, creating settlements and villages. Subsequently, many Bedouins transitioned from raising livestock to modern professions.

– inland countries of the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula. Then they began to spread throughout Mesopotamia, Syria and Chaldea. Now Bedouins Arab origin live on lands stretching from Persia to the shores of the Atlantic, from the Kurdish mountains to Sudan. But in these vast lands they dominate only to a limited extent. Territories suitable for agriculture are occupied by other peoples.

The Red Sea coast was chosen for life by two large Bedouin tribes: Al-Abbadi and Al-Maazi. The first settle near the coast and refute the idea of ​​themselves as a land people. Representatives of Al-Abbadi can even be found among local diver instructors and fishing boat captains. Al-Maazi are desert Bedouins who reached the sea coast from the interior more than 100 years ago. Initially, serious disputes flared up between the two clans over the division of coastal territories, which ended with a great meeting of elders and a clear division of the boundaries of tribal possessions.

In Egypt, Bedouins are not counted because they do not have passports and do not participate in censuses. There are approximate figures: from 50 to 150 thousand people.

Social system, traditions, way of life

Bedouins live in tribes and clans (hamullahs) and practice. The leader of the tribe is the sheikh, this is transmitted according to. In Bedouin society there is an institution of “qadi”. It is represented by clergy, who are entrusted with the rights and responsibilities for carrying out acts of civil status, for example, registering a marriage.

The homes of the Bedouins are traditionally tents, but now for many nomads, especially those who have settled somewhere on the coast, the main home can be a quite fashionable villa.

Among the Bedouins, there is a tradition of blood feud; conflicts between tribes and clans arise for various reasons. To solve the problem, tribal sheikhs agree on monetary compensation for damage, after which “sulkha” is declared - forgiveness.

According to another well-established tradition, before the wedding, the groom's family gives the bride's parents a certain amount of money, with which they buy gold jewelry for the newlywed.

Most Bedouins in Egypt are not keen to support modern society, they are self-sufficient and avoid settlements. Old people teach young people to read the Koran. Women's job is to do housework and care for livestock. Because of the heat, men hunt in the evenings and during the day they rest in the shade under awnings. The Bedouins are also engaged in agriculture, but this is only possible in mountainous areas with constant sources of water.

Some more modern and progressive representatives of Bedouin society are engaged in commerce and other activities. labor activity. Thus, one family living on the Sinai coast has tamed a pod of dolphins, which, on the orders of their owners, begin to entertain tourists.

IN Lately the most progressive Bedouins even participate in events such as celebrating the New Year with tourists from Russia. Imagine: the desert, the heat, cheerful Russians, round dances circling along the sand with the Bedouins - what lovers of exotic holidays will do!

The Bedouins, thanks to their alienation from society, their original way of life, independence, endurance and adaptability to difficult conditions, for most civilized peoples remain something mysterious, exotic, and incomprehensible. But the echoes of modern civilization no, no, and they sneak into lonely proud clans. Some of their representatives, contrary to tradition, choose the path of business and commerce. Despite this, their innate pride and independence still remain a striking feature of them.

The word “Bedouin” comes from the Arabic يود‎‎ب badawi - “inhabitant of the desert (steppe)”, “nomad”. Typically, this term is used to refer to the entire population of the Arab world who lead a nomadic lifestyle, regardless of their nationality or religion. According to modern science, Bedouins have lived in the desert for at least 4-5 thousand years.

In ancient times, most people settled near rivers, but the Bedouins preferred to live in the open desert. Bedouins primarily live in the Arab and Syrian deserts, the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and the Sahara Desert in North Africa.

There are Bedouin communities in many countries around the world, including Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq in the Middle East, and Morocco, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya in North Africa. In total, the Bedouin population is about 4 million people.

This article will focus on the Bedouins of the Sinai Peninsula, in particular the Bedouins living in the vicinity of Dahab.

Today in Dahab you can find examples of cultures from all over the world. People from different countries And different nationalities decided to settle in Dahab or make this town their second home. This gives Dahab brightness and color.

The second largest group inhabiting Dahab consists of Bedouin tribes who settled here about 800 years ago and are the original inhabitants. They have undergone many changes over the past 30 years. Some changes have had positive influence on their way of life, while others were negatively affected. Jeep SUVs have long since replaced camels as a means of transport, but fortunately the Bedouin culture in Dahab has remained largely unchanged. Almost all Bedouins live in the north of Dahab - in the Assala area, the main bay of the once Bedouin village.

Today Dahab is home to about 10,000 Bedouins and about 20,000 people from the rest of Egypt. Approximately 3,000 people from all over the world live or work here.

Who are the Bedouins?

The Bedouin, an Arabic-speaking nomadic tribe, are natives of the Arabian Peninsula (mainly Saudi Arabia), traveling through the desert in search of water and suitable places for parking. Sometimes their journey lasted several days before arriving at their destination. Once upon a time, each tribe was responsible for its own plot of land, from which they received income by providing accommodation, food and security for travelers and trading caravans. As the most experienced guides in the desert, they controlled trade routes and accompanied caravans.

The Bedouins have managed to maintain their natural qualities of a desert lifestyle for many thousands of years. They survived in the dry and harsh desert regions of the Middle East, while supplying surplus livestock, meat and dairy products to nearby cities. The Bedouins in Sinai can teach you how to survive in extreme desert conditions. They know very well all the habits of animals (including humans), and they are also able to find their way in the desert without a compass or map.

Bedouin men and women traditionally perform various roles in society. Bedouin men typically earn a living for their families. Today, some of them work as safari guides, drivers, some own shops, some are involved in construction or in the service sector. Women work primarily in the home, taking care of household chores, the family, and the herd of goats, sheep, and camels.

As a rule, Bedouin women only interact with men from their family or guests invited to their home. However, this tradition is starting to change a bit in Dahab, and some Bedouin women are starting to work outside the home, looking after children or in shops. Most Bedouin women in Dahab are excellent at making necklaces, bracelets and beading. All these products are usually sold by their children in and around the city.

Bedouin clothing

Bedouin men wear long shirt-dresses called "jalabey", predominantly white, although other colors can be found. On the head they wear a “smagg” (red and white scarf, in Russia and the CIS countries, called “arafatka”) or “aymemma” (white scarf), sometimes held in place by a black band (“agal”).

Bedouin women usually wear brightly colored long dresses (called jalabeya, just like the men's), but when they go outside the house they dress in abayas (thin, long black cloak dresses, sometimes covered with shiny embroidery). They also always cover their heads and hair when they leave their homes with a tarkha (black, thin scarf). Once upon a time, woman's face according to tradition, it was hidden behind a richly decorated “burqa”, which can now only be seen among the older generation. Representatives younger generation today they simply cover their heads with a scarf (“tarha”).

Bedouin hospitality

The Bedouins are excellent hosts and well known for their hospitality, and you will certainly feel welcome in their home. This is part of a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation. You will definitely be offered the famous Bedouin tea, brewed from tea leaves and desert herbs “khabak” and “marmarea”.

This gives the tea a special aroma; the taste of “habaka” is a little reminiscent of the taste of sage. Typically, tea is prepared over a fire as soon as the guest arrives, and stories and news are exchanged with him.

Another part of Bedouin hospitality is the food offered to the guest. Traditional food This is a delicious Bedouin bread cooked over an open fire, as well as rice, meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Food is always prepared from fresh ingredients. Bedouins pay special attention to food preparation, and food served to guests is always considered a special, important event.

For weary desert travelers, the sight of Bedouin tents was tantamount to an oasis. According to Bedouin custom, food, water and a place to sleep are provided to all travelers and guests, and if necessary, this period can be up to three days. Usually this time is enough to gain strength and continue the journey through the desert. Although, in modern world cars have changed the need for such hospitality, it still forms an important part of Bedouin culture, and shelter is still offered when needed.

The Bedouins have an amazing gift of storytelling and can tell you numerous stories about “what events happened in ancient times.” Most stories are unusual stories about the behavior of camels, about the miraculous treatment with medicinal herbs that they use in their family. Many Bedouins have real poetic talent, often using it to special occasions such as weddings.

Herbal medicine

The Bedouin's knowledge of herbal medicine is unusually deep and since ancient times this has been their only source and hope for healing diseases in the desert. They know hundreds of herbal medicines and various medicines, one of the most popular is camel milk. It is used for many ailments, including stomach and digestive disorders, circulatory and musculoskeletal problems. The Bedouins have extensive knowledge of desert plants and what they can be used for. In Dahab we find plenty of evidence of how effectively these medicinal plants affect the human body.

Religion and faith

The Sinai Bedouins are Sunni Muslims and practice their religion, Islam, with deep faith and sincerity. As part of their religion, they maintained a close connection with the natural world. As a rule, Bedouins know that a storm is approaching even before it begins, or when a wild animal approaches their home. Living in harmony with nature is a very natural way to maintain your faith. Many modern Bedouins of Dahab often leave their business and go to retire to remote, secluded places in the mountains or desert and enjoy the pristine sensations of silence and peace.

Bedouin tradition is based on strict tribal laws and customs. Tribal law prohibits the destruction of living trees, the penalty for this may be a fine of 3 two-year-old camels or their monetary equivalent. The Bedouins say that "killing a tree is like killing a soul."

Bedouin wedding

Bedouin weddings are usually held during the full moon and this event is in a great way get to know this unique culture. A wedding can last from 2 to 5 days and most of the celebratory activities take place at night. This mainly takes place in private homes. However, large weddings, once or twice a year, are held in a large desert valley. One of the highlights includes a special night of tribal dancing and live music. During this time, unmarried women take the chance to choose their future husband by dancing in front of potential suitors. This is perhaps one of the few times of the year when young men and women have the opportunity to interact in the hope of finding love. Just like weddings in other countries of the world, during a Bedouin wedding, everyone dresses up in their best clothes, and celebrations take place with food, music and dancing.

Bedouin crafts

Traditionally, Bedouin women weave a tent for their family from goat or camel hair, and are responsible for building and erecting the tent if the family moves to new lands.

Today, Bedouin women are skilled in making beautiful items such as carpets, necklaces, bracelets and burkas. These are usually items embroidered or decorated with beads, sequins and coins using traditional techniques passed down from generation to generation. Local flora and fauna are reflected in the intricate designs and patterns used in the work. In the center of Dahab you will find many Bedouin children selling these beautiful products.

What is a tribe?

A tribe is a group consisting of a number of clans. Each clan contains distinct families that trace their ancestry back to a single source. Each clan has its own wells, pastures and lands. Also, the clans are further divided into groups, each of which performs different functions in the tribe, such as herding and raising cattle, leadership and trading functions, etc. At the head of the tribe there is always a leader, who is called the Sheikh.

Who is Sheikh?

The sheikh is the leader of the tribe and has significant influence, he ensures that the tribe always adheres to traditional customs and follows the advice of the tribal elders. The Sheikh is always chosen from a noble family, and anyone from the family is eligible for the position, however, the Sheikh is usually the oldest male. The sheikh is the representative of his tribe and is often the one called upon to resolve disputes or act as a negotiator to resolve differences.

The biggest challenge now facing the Bedouins of the Sinai Peninsula is to find a balance between the old (nomadic) way of life and the new (urban way of life) that has arisen due to the development of tourism in the Sinai. The number of nomadic Bedouins today has declined and the real challenge is maintaining this unique history and culture while trying to keep up with the modern world.