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Camel wrestling ( Turkish ''deve güreşi'') is a sport in which two male Tülü camels wrestle, typically in response to a female camel in
Camel wrestling ( Turkish ''deve güreşi'') is a sport in which two male Tülü camels wrestle, typically in response to a female camel in heat
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...
being led before them. It is most common in the Aegean region of Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
, but is also practiced in other parts of the Middle East and South Asia.
History
Camel fighting originated among ancient Turkic tribes over 1000 years ago. Camels also wrestle in the wild, so the practice occurred before it was first organized by nomads. In the 1920s the Turkish National Aviation league has held Camel fights as fundraisers in order to purchase planes for the Government of Turkey. The government of Turkey began discouraging the practice in the 1920s, however, characterizing it as too backwards of a practice. In the 1980s, the new government of Turkey began encouraging the competitions as part of Turkey's historic culture.
Event details
Due to the motivating factor of a nearby female camel, the events have historically been held during mating season. The camels fight by using their necks as leverage to force their opponent to fall down. A camel is declared the winner if his competitor falls to the ground or flees from the fight. Most fighting camels are bred in Iran or Afghanistan. A successful camel can be sold for over $20,000. The events can occasionally be hazardous to spectators if the camels attempt to flee through the crowd. On some occasions fights also break out between the owners of camels. There are roughly thirty annual festivals in Aegean Turkey each year from November to March. Roughly one hundred fighting camels take part in these events, with each camel competing in approximately ten matches. Events always occur on Sundays in football stadiums and typically last ten minutes each. At the end of the season there is often a tournament of champions in which the best camels compete. Many international tourists attend the events, making them a key part of the tourist industry in Western Anatolia. Severalanimal rights
Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding suffering—should be afforded the sam ...
organizations have criticized the practice, characterizing it as cruelty to animals.
See also
*Alligator wrestling
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Native American historical origins
Southeastern Native Amer ...
*Bull wrestling
Bull wrestling, cow fighting or bull fighting is a non-lethal bloodsport between bulls or cows found in some parts of the world.
Balkans
''Korida'', from ''corrida'', or ''borbe bikova'' ("fights of bulls") is a traditional sport in Bosnia and H ...
*Animals in professional wrestling
The usage of animals in professional wrestling has varied through the profession's history. Animals that have been used as opponents to humans in matches include bears, tigers, cheetahs and orangutans.
Species used as wrestlers
Bears
Bears hav ...
References