Camel Wrestling in Turkey

If there’s one thing that’s true for Turkish folks living in the desert, it’s that they’re definitely creative when it comes to thinking up ways to be entertained. If you need proof, just seek out the wonderful sport of camel wrestling.

Turkish camel wrestling is almost exactly as it sounds; two male camels are thrust together into an epic battle of weight and will to see who can come out on top. All of this is for the attention of a lucky young cow.

Actually, it’s mostly just two camels head-butting each other until the other either falls down or runs away in fear. The real entertainment is watching the camels run headfirst into the crowd and watching the spectators run for their lives.

Camel wrestling is a real sport in Turkey, with leagues existing all over the country. It’s most popular in the Aegean region. Unfortunately, this sport is only for the rich as the cost of raising and training a camel is exorbitant. They have to be bulked up in order to wrestle and apparently feeding a camel is not cheap.

We’re not really sure if camel wrestling if funny or cruel, but it’s definitely real. Next time you’re in Turkey, it might be worth checking out.