The End of The Road - The Birqash Camel Market

While living in Cairo from 2012 -2014, during an extended period of political unrest and a second revolution, I was able to visit many different parts of the country.  The one reoccurring theme was the devastating toll that the lack of tourism was having on so many sectors of the economy.  From the deserted pyramids and museum in Cairo to the empty Red Sea Resorts, to the Nile River that once had 300+ cruise boats operating and was down to less than 10; it was apparent how important tourism had been to the Egyptian economy, the modern way of life, and what a devastating impact the current political situation was having.

As a temporary resident of Egypt I was desperate to find and photograph a piece of Egyptian life and culture that was not directly affected by the decline in tourism and political unrest.  If such a place existed, I was hoping to see something that was a piece of Egyptian life that was carrying on much as it always had, regardless of what was happening politically.  Surprisingly, I found this genuine piece of Egyptian culture right outside Cairo at the Birqash Camel Market.  

The end of the Darb al-Arba’in, the famous 40 Day Road, ends here at the Birqash Camel Market just North West of Cairo.  The camel market is a part of rural Egyptian life that is rarely seen anywhere near the overcrowded streets of Cairo and has carried on in much the same way for hundreds of years.  The chaos of this market is the final stop for the camels after being herded through Somalia, Eritrea, and Sudan to Southern Egypt.  The ones that are not sold in the markets of Southern Egypt are trucked up to Birqash to meet their final fate at auction.

The camels are held in groups just outside the auction space and then pulled in one at a time to be sold.  The auction does not appear to be an orderly process but rather a crowd of men yelling prices in Arabic.  

 

As each camel is brought to the center of the auction circle, the buyers eagerly wait.  There are generally several auctions taking place at one time and the buyers crowd around whichever animal they have interest in bidding on. 

 

The auctioneer shows off the animal to the crowd of buyers by making the camel sit and then displaying its teeth.  The state of the camel’s mouth is considered to be an indication of its health, which will determine whether it will be bought for meat or for farm labor.  

Once a price is determined the camel is taken to the side and marked with its final price in paint.  The other markings on the camels are to distinguish the herd which they are from. Like a branded cow, the marking indicates ownership.

The auction is chaotic and exciting and around the market you can see groups of men sitting together and taking it all in.

 Most of the camels are incredibly calm as though they have accepted that their fate will most likely be a trip to the butcher shop.  

 

During this process the camels are hobbled, each having one front leg bound, to keep them from running.

 Although they are hobbled many of them do try to run, making the camel market a place where one must be on their toes at all times.  This camel appeared from out of the crowd and did his best to hobble away.  When his owner caught up to him he beat him with a bamboo cane and drug him back to the group waiting to be auctioned.

These men live nomadic lives on the road, as they travel with their camels up the 40 Day Road, from market to market.  It is a way of life for them and their sons are expected to do the same.  By the time their sons can walk they join their fathers on the road.

 

When they are old enough the young boys are given their own bamboo cane and they are expected to help contain the camels while their fathers barter and make deals.

Eventually those same young boys will be old enough to run the family herd to market.  This young man was very proud of his camel herd and was eager to make a sale.

Deeper into the market you find buyers making purchases direct from sellers.  This man is checking out his perspective purchase by examining the camel’s teeth.

Many farmers are present at the market, not to buy or sell camels but to sell their alfalfa crops to the camel owners for feed.

The market appears chaotic but everyone has their role.  This man’s job is to make tea available to all of the merchants throughout the day.  

Once merchants have finished their buying and selling for the day they sit back and enjoy the social scene with a bit of shisha and conversation.

The 40 Day Road and the camel markets are generally not a place for women.  Very few women are present and those who find their way in, are generally older women who are considered to be beggars. They place themselves within the market hoping to reap the benefits of a merchants good sale in the form of a small hand out.

 It is easy to forget the proximity of the market to the capital of Cairo where during this time politics and protests rule daily life.  As this young man drags his camel into the throws of the auction you can see a political poster in the background.  This poster has the crossed out face of the recently overthrown President Morsi.

The camel market is a home of sorts for these merchants, who are from many different countries and places in North Africa.  This wall mural written in Arabic is expressing love for Sudan.

Once the day is done, they have been auctioned and paid for, and the camels are loaded into the back of trucks and hauled away from the market.

The days I spent at the camel market were a privilege, and without a doubt some of my most cherished days in Egypt.  During times of such turmoil and uncertainty it was a pleasant surprise to feel as though I had stepped back in time, to be witness, to a place that was just carrying on with its daily affairs uninterrupted.