A Brief Introduction to the Camel Wrestling Events in Western Turkey Ali Fuat Aydin [of Izmir] Abstract: The aim of this study is to give brief information about camel wrestling events which are commonly held in Western Turkey at certain times in the year. Even today, camel wrestling shows are still important social events in part of Turkish society. The distribution of camel wrestling and the organizations in Turkey which promote them, and the economic and cultural significance of these events, will also be examined, especially since these wrestling events might provide new economic opportunities in terms of local tourism. Traditional events such as camel wrestling have an important role in the survival of cultural traditions of Anatolia. These camel wrestling events are held mainly in the western part of Turkey, where the climate in winter is suitable for such events. Today, camel wrestling is popular mostly in the Aydın province. It can also be seen in the provinces of İzmir, Manisa, Muğla and Denizli in the Aegean region, Balıkesir and Çanakkale in the Marmara region and Burdur, and Isparta and Antalya in the Mediterranean region. Therefore it is mainly a phenomenon of the western quarter of the country. The first report of a camel wrestling competition which was held as a big public festival was that it took place in the village of Hıdırbeyli, close to the town of İncirliova in the province of Aydın, about 200 years ago. Although the origins of camel wrestling cannot be determined exactly, it is believed that its roots go back to ancient nomadic times. The people interested in camel wrestling, and also the camel owners, say that the nomads used to have their camels wrestle as part of a competition between caravan owners. For Metin Çıtak, the main organizer of the tournament at Selçuk, a coastal town in the mid-western part of Turkey, the sport is about keeping alive the bond between Turks and the animal that served their nomadic ancestors for centuries, and which he sees as an integral part of Turkish heritage. “In the past, a camel was something you couldn’t live without – the lives of the camels and the humans were in a symbiotic relationship,” he said. “These days, huge improvements in technology and transportation have made camels redundant for trading purposes, but camel wrestling is still an important event for the preservation of local culture.” Mainly it is organizations involved in education, culture, health, sports or social welfare which promote camel wrestling competitions, for the purpose of raising funds. In some areas the local councils also support these events. The proceeds earned from camel wrestling, after costs are deducted, are used for specific social purposes. No types of betting are legally allowed on match outcomes. Wrestling matches are held between male camels of a type called Tülü, which are bred by mating a single-hump female Arabian Dromedary camel, or yoz camel, (species name camelus dromedarius) with a double-hump male Asian Bactrian camel, or buhur camel (species name camelus bactrianus). These wrestling matches are won as a result of the power and abilities of these camels and it is somewhat strange that the sport is called a wrestling match rather than a proper fight between a pair of competing animals.