Third Sunday in January: Camel Wrestling « January « Somewhere in the world today…

The traditional sport of camel wrestling is very popular throughout western Turkey during winter. The largest event is the annual festival held in Selcuk on the third weekend of January.

So uniquely Turkish, camel wrestling has a devoted following and camel owners marshal their male camels to Selçuk from all over Turkey, where the eve of the festival is celebrated with much feasting, drinking and dancing.

Camel wrestling is held during the breeding season, when the male camels are more than happy to show off their wrestling skills to win the admiration of the females. There are some ancient rules and practices that govern the sport. The elaborately dressed camels must use accepted techniques for wrestling and a board of judges preside over the match, with 14 referees close at hand to separate the camels if required. Two bull camels are led out into the arena and then a young cow is paraded around to get them excited. The bulls show their excitement by foaming at the mouth and dribbling long strings of slimy white saliva (apparently this really get the females going!). They must use their heads, necks and bodies to overcome their opponents, and a camel is deemed a winner if he forces his opponent to flee the ring, cry, or manages to wrestle him to the ground sumo style.

It’s definitely a sight to see and it’s nice to know that it’s really quite a gentle sport, and one that the camels participate in naturally anyway.

When is The Camel Wrestling Championship in Selcuk?

The wrestling events take place in Selcuk, Turkey on the third Sunday of January each year, but the party kicks off the night before.

Food & Drink

Eat Döner kebap. Although Islam forbids drinking alcohol, many Turks enjoy the local Rakı (a clear grape brandy flavored with anise and diluted with water).

Travel to Turkey

Although there is a small airport in Selçuk, it is only open for private planes, so the nearest option for international flights is Adnan Menderes Airport in Izmir, which lies 55km north of Selçuk. Book flights to Izmir and hotels in Selcuk with ebookers.com.