Who are the Bedouins? Perpetual motion
Bedouins are people who lead a nomadic lifestyle. They are engaged different types activities, but never stop in one place for long.
They create villages, places for recreation and temporary living.
Bedouins are representatives of the Islamic world, and there is practically no meaning to which state or nationality one of the Bedouins belongs.
These people are not asked who they are or where they are from, the main thing is that representatives of these segments of the population are nomadic.
However, a nomadic lifestyle is not everything, and the Bedouins have a lot of their own traditions, customs and even laws.
Bedouins - who are they?
Bedouins are people who lead, as mentioned earlier, a nomadic lifestyle. As a rule, they are engaged in trading and making bread. There is no permanent place of residence. All Bedouins are divided into tribes and clans.
Among the Bedouins you can often find the concept of “blood feud”.
Even if representatives of one know that representatives of the other were involved in unpleasant stories with relatives or ancestors, such grievances are never forgotten.
However, everything does not always end in bloodshed - in some cases the principle of ransom works.
For example, one sheikh pays compensation to another who dominates a Bedouin tribe that was previously wronged.
The main thing is that the essence of the problem is recognized by both sides, and the Bedouins know how to negotiate and discuss. Essentially, these are calm, balanced people, but fair and fearless.
Where can you meet Bedouins in Egypt?
If tourists go on a trip to Egypt, you can book an excursion to the desert on quad bikes.
However, most tours purchased in our country already provide for the possibility of such a trip.
The best time for an excursion is early in the morning, when it is still dark. The fewer people on the team, the better. Bedouins can be overtaken by dawn, a couple of hours after leaving the most popular places where tourist centers are concentrated.
It may include several such trips that will not get boring.
Bedouin wedding traditions
The act of marriage among the Bedouins is quite democratic. Among the tribal people, there are no responsibilities regarding who girls should marry and who they should not marry.
Parents also decide practically nothing. If a guy wants a girl to become his wife, he turns to the sheikh to bring the family together for dinner.
After the sheikh (Bedouin) collects, the girl must politely serve everyone, prepare food, and present it. At the same time, during the communication process, it is not said whether the potential bride agrees to get married. Only the guy will know about this, and only by the taste of the tea.
If a girl makes unsweetened tea, she will be against marriage, and if it is sweet, she will be for it.
In some cases, one girl can refuse many men. No one will blame her for this, since the choice always remains with the woman, despite the fact that in most Muslim countries everything happens differently.
It is interesting that when a Bedouin wedding takes place, they prepare a large camel and gather many guests around them.
The Bedouins live differently. They have a richer culture modern customs, calmness and democracy.
Bedouin housing
Bedouins live in tents. There are summer and winter options.
Summer ones are different in that they are fabric, allow air to pass through well, and are cool.
Their main purpose is to create a protective visual barrier. Inside the tents are divided into three rooms:
- guest room Everyone can come here. There are no inhospitable people among the Bedouins. Even if a tourist comes here, the owners of the house will not treat him aggressively, but will only politely ask what he needs;
- residential The living part contains the necessary things, objects and furniture. All the amenities of the house are concentrated here;
- female. In the women's room, oddly enough, work is carried out that is assigned to women.
Whatever they are, the Bedouins living nearby hide in tents made of goat hair in winter.
They are dense, retain heat well, and help provide housing with the necessary level of humidity.
These tents can be purchased, but they cost $2,000 each.
However, the Bedouins have that kind of money - these people earn quite good money from trading.
Bedouins and tourists
Even if a tourist wants to visit a village with Bedouins, and there will be no guide with him, he still needs to fear for his own health.
After all, there are both modern Bedouins and Bedouin hermits who are located throughout the Sinai.
These are quite dangerous guys. They have serious problems with the authorities, because many of them sell drugs and weapons.
Bedouin hermits can take you prisoner to exchange you for their relatives who are imprisoned for any crimes.
Despite this, there are also modern Bedouins who are always happy to see you, have converted to Christianity and make money from tourists.
These people treat every guest delicious food, with homemade bread, they tell interesting stories from life, allowing you to become better acquainted with traditions.
Guests are especially loved by Bedouin children, who constantly tell stories and also show what they have.
However, we must not forget that there are also elementary norms of behavior among the Bedouins.
You cannot enter a house with shoes on, no matter how unkempt you think it may be, otherwise the Bedouins will simply be offended. It is also recommended to enter from the northern part of the tent - there will be a guest part.
The word “Bedouin” comes from the Arabic يودب badawi - “inhabitant of the desert (steppe)”, “nomad”. Usually this term is used to refer to the entire population Arab world who lead a nomadic lifestyle, regardless of their nationality or religion. According to modern science, Bedouins have lived in the desert for at least 4-5 thousand years.
In ancient times, most people settled near rivers, but the Bedouins preferred to live in the open desert. Bedouins mainly live in the Arab and Syrian deserts, the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and the Sahara Desert in North Africa.
There are Bedouin communities in many countries around the world, including Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq in the Middle East, and Morocco, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya in North Africa. In total, the Bedouin population is about 4 million people.
This article will focus on the Bedouins of the Sinai Peninsula, in particular the Bedouins living in the vicinity of Dahab.
Today in Dahab you can find examples of cultures from all over the world. People from different countries And different nationalities decided to settle in Dahab or make this town their second home. This gives Dahab brightness and color.
The second largest group inhabiting Dahab consists of Bedouin tribes who settled here about 800 years ago and are the original inhabitants. They have undergone many changes over the past 30 years. Some changes have had positive influence on their way of life, while others were negatively affected. Jeep SUVs have long replaced camels as vehicle, but fortunately the Bedouin culture in Dahab has remained virtually unchanged. Almost all Bedouins live in the north of Dahab - in the Assala area, the main bay of the once Bedouin village.
Today Dahab is home to about 10,000 Bedouins and about 20,000 people from the rest of Egypt. Approximately 3,000 people from all over the world live or work here.
Who are the Bedouins?
The Bedouin, an Arabic-speaking nomadic tribe, are natives of the Arabian Peninsula (mainly Saudi Arabia) who travel through the desert in search of water and suitable places to camp. Sometimes their journey lasted several days before arriving at their destination. Once upon a time, each tribe was responsible for its own plot of land, from which they received income by providing accommodation, food and security for travelers and trading caravans. As the most experienced guides in the desert, they controlled trade routes and accompanied caravans.
The Bedouins have managed to maintain their natural qualities of a desert lifestyle for many thousands of years. They survived in the dry and harsh desert regions of the Middle East, while supplying surplus livestock, meat and dairy products to nearby cities. The Bedouins in Sinai can teach you how to survive in extreme desert conditions. They know very well all the habits of animals (including humans), and they are also able to find their way in the desert without a compass or map.
Bedouin men and women traditionally have different roles in society. Bedouin men typically earn a living for their families. Today, some of them work as safari guides, drivers, some own shops, some are involved in construction or in the service sector. Women work primarily in the home, taking care of household chores, the family, and the herd of goats, sheep, and camels.
As a rule, Bedouin women only interact with men from their family or guests invited to their home. However, this tradition is starting to change a bit in Dahab, and some Bedouin women are starting to work outside the home, looking after children or in shops. Most Bedouin women in Dahab are excellent at making necklaces, bracelets and beading. All these products are usually sold by their children in and around the city.
Bedouin clothing
Bedouin men wear long shirt-dresses called "jalabey", mainly white, although other colors may occur. On the head they wear a “smagg” (red and white scarf, in Russia and the CIS countries, called “arafatka”) or “aymemma” (white scarf), sometimes held in place by a black band (“agal”).
Bedouin women usually wear brightly colored long dresses (called jalabeya, just like the men's), but when they go outside the house they dress in abayas (thin, long black cloak dresses, sometimes covered with shiny embroidery). They also always cover their heads and hair when they leave their homes with a tarkha (black, thin scarf). Once upon a time, woman's face according to tradition, it was hidden behind a richly decorated “burqa”, which can now only be seen among the older generation. Representatives younger generation today they simply cover their heads with a scarf (“tarha”).
Bedouin hospitality
The Bedouins are excellent hosts and well known for their hospitality, and you will certainly feel welcome in their home. This is part of a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation. You will definitely be offered the famous Bedouin tea, brewed from tea leaves and desert herbs “khabak” and “marmarea”.
This gives the tea a special aroma; the taste of “habaka” is a little reminiscent of the taste of sage. Typically, tea is prepared over a fire as soon as the guest arrives, and stories and news are exchanged with him.
Another part of Bedouin hospitality is the food offered to the guest. Traditional food includes delicious Bedouin bread cooked over an open fire, as well as rice, meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Food is always prepared from fresh ingredients. Bedouins pay special attention to food preparation, and food served to guests is always considered a special, important event.
For weary desert travelers, the sight of Bedouin tents was tantamount to an oasis. According to Bedouin custom, food, water and a place to sleep are provided to all travelers and guests, and if necessary, this period can be up to three days. Usually this time is enough to gain strength and continue the journey through the desert. Although, in the modern world, passenger cars have changed the need for such hospitality, it still forms an important part of Bedouin culture, and shelter is still offered when needed.
The Bedouins have an amazing gift of storytelling and can tell you numerous stories about “what events happened in ancient times.” Most stories are unusual stories about the behavior of camels, about miraculous treatment medicinal herbs which they use in their family. Many Bedouins have real poetic talent, often using it to special occasions, such as weddings.
Herbal medicine
The Bedouin's knowledge of herbal medicine is unusually deep and since ancient times this has been their only source and hope for healing diseases in the desert. They know hundreds of herbal medicines and various medicines, one of the most popular is camel milk. It is used for many ailments, including stomach and digestive disorders, circulatory and musculoskeletal problems. The Bedouins have extensive knowledge of desert plants and what they can be used for. In Dahab we find plenty of evidence of how effective these medicinal plants affect the human body.
Religion and faith
The Sinai Bedouins are Sunni Muslims and practice their religion, Islam, with deep faith and sincerity. As part of their religion, they maintained a close connection with the natural world. As a rule, Bedouins know that a storm is approaching even before it begins, or when a wild animal approaches their home. Living in harmony with nature is a very natural way to maintain your faith. Many modern Bedouins of Dahab often leave their affairs and go to retire to remote, secluded places in the mountains or desert and enjoy the pristine sensations of silence and tranquility.
Bedouin tradition is based on strict tribal laws and customs. Tribal law prohibits the destruction of living trees, the penalty for this may be a fine of 3 two-year-old camels or their monetary equivalent. The Bedouins say that "killing a tree is like killing a soul."
Bedouin wedding
Bedouin weddings are usually held during full moon, and this event is in a great way get to know this unique culture. A wedding can last from 2 to 5 days and most of the celebratory activities take place at night. This mainly takes place in private homes. However, large weddings, once or twice a year, are held in a large desert valley. One of the highlights includes a special night of tribal dancing and live music. At that time unmarried women They use the chance to choose their future husband by dancing in front of potential suitors. This is perhaps one of the few times of the year when young men and women have the opportunity to interact in the hope of finding love. Just like weddings in other parts of the world, during a Bedouin wedding, everyone dresses up in their best clothes and the celebrations include food, music and dancing.
Bedouin crafts
Traditionally, Bedouin women weave a tent for their family from goat or camel hair, and are responsible for building and erecting the tent if the family moves to new lands.
Today, Bedouin women are skilled in making beautiful items such as carpets, necklaces, bracelets and burkas. These are, as a rule, things embroidered or decorated with beads, sequins and coins using traditional techniques passed down from generation to generation. Local flora and fauna are reflected in the intricate designs and patterns used in the work. In the center of Dahab you will find many Bedouin children selling these beautiful products.
What is a tribe?
A tribe is a group consisting of a number of clans. Each clan includes separate families, who trace their ancestry back to a single source. Each clan has its own wells, pastures and lands. Also, the clans are further divided into groups, each of which performs different functions in the tribe, such as cattle breeding and cultivation of large cattle, management and trading functions, etc. At the head of the tribe there is always a leader, who is called the Sheikh.
Who is Sheikh?
The sheikh is the leader of the tribe and has significant influence, he makes sure that the tribe always adheres to traditional customs and carried out the advice of tribal elders. The Sheikh is always chosen from a noble family, and anyone from the family is eligible for the position, however, the Sheikh is usually the oldest male. The sheikh is the representative of his tribe and is often the one called upon to resolve disputes or act as a negotiator to resolve differences.
The most big task The challenge now facing the Bedouins of the Sinai Peninsula is to find a balance between the old (nomadic) way of life and the new (urban way of life) that has arisen due to the development of tourism in the Sinai. The number of nomadic Bedouins today has declined and real problem is to maintain this unique history and culture while trying to keep up with the modern world.
It is believed that there are 150,000 Bedouins in Egypt, but this is a very approximate figure, since these desert children live without passports and do not participate in population censuses.
Bedouin (desert dweller, nomad) is not a nationality, but a commitment to a certain way of life. For 25 centuries, Bedouin tribes have been roaming the Arabian deserts, continuing to religiously adhere to the old laws.
They are excellent riders, dexterous hunters, skilled dancers and talented storytellers. Bedouins are wiry, nimble and hardy, accustomed to any adversity. They live in tents during childbirth. The clans are united into villages ruled by a sheikh. 40-50 villages are subordinate to the qadi, who is both a judge and a military leader for them.
The Bedouins have long had a tradition of blood feud and conflicts between tribes are not uncommon. Reconciliation can be achieved if sheikhs or qadis of other tribes act as judges. Usually they agree on material compensation for the damage caused, and after payment, the conflict is considered settled. But there are times when even the cadi cannot help.
Recently, a sensational story took place in Egypt. 14-year-old Aliya injured her leg. The folk healer Tabib could not help - the leg began to swell. Then the parents decided to go to the local hospital. On the third day they came to visit their daughter, but the patient disappeared from the ward without a trace.
The police began to look for her, and it turned out that at the same time as Aliya, a young doctor from Sri Lanka disappeared from the hospital. Whole year the fugitive did not make herself known, but then she showed up. The parents were shocked: it turns out that Aliya ran away with the young doctor and even married him according to all the rules of the people of Sri Lanka.
Apparently, the reason for such a reckless act was the fear of remaining an old maid. The fact is that Bedouin girls get married very early, at 13–14 years old. A fifteen-year-old bride is already considered “stale goods.” Aliya was already 14 years old, but her groom was still missing. So she ran away with the first person she met.
The family of the newly-made husband lived in Colombo and was considered wealthy; the girl was not denied anything. You can say that they opened their arms to her, issued a passport as a relative, had a wedding, and allocated living space. But the Bedouin Aliya did not last long in such a paradise. She didn't like life in big city, receiving guests, shopping trips. They say that she yearned endlessly Egyptian desert, where you have to get up at sunrise and go to bed at sunset. It is likely that Aliya did not love her husband, and life with him was unbearable for her. Having given birth to a child, a year later she fled to her harsh homeland.
This story caused a lot of talk and gossip throughout Egypt. Aliya was actively condemned, because she allowed herself to violate the foundations of an entire people. There are no extramarital affairs in the life of Bedouins, so there is no word “prostitute.” But there is a concept - not respecting parents. Fortunately, fifteen-year-old sinner Aliya and her child were not rejected by the Bedouin tribe. A couple of years later, Aliya was taken in by a 30-year-old nomad as his second wife, since the first one was barren.
Currently, most Bedouins in Egypt shun settlements. Old people teach children to read the Koran. Women do housework, men hunt, and during the day they sit in the shade under awnings without any movement, apparently thinking about Allah.
But there are some Bedouins who have discovered unexpected crafts. They have taken up the tourism business and offer camel rides, a cultural program in the form of dances and songs around the fire with a simple dinner and coffee.
The Bedouins say about coffee that it should be as strong as love and bitter as life. Particularly noteworthy are the recipe for preparing the drink and the ceremony of consumption itself. They drink it from a special container, under the hot sun, while having a friendly conversation, including with tourists. It doesn't matter that they don't understand each other's language. If you are lucky, tourists, during an excursion to Bedouin settlements, can witness a Bedouin wedding.
This is a very beautiful ceremony, with ritual dances and a wide and generous feast, with an abundance of festive meat dishes. It is noteworthy that even wealthy, civilized Bedouins living in cities spend wedding ceremonies only in the desert.
Usually a guy, if he has his eye on a bride, comes to the leader of the tribe along with his parents. After this, the leader invites the girl to his place and asks her to prepare tea for him and his guests. The girl serves it to everyone present. Taking his first sip, the young man is very worried, because if his beloved put sugar in it, it means she agrees to be his wife. If not, then the unlucky groom, experiencing the rejection of his beloved, does not drink or eat for several days.
After sweet tea, the question of bride price arises. The girl's relatives try to increase its size, the boy's relatives do everything possible to save money. They look for physical defects in the girl - unhealthy teeth, weak hair. To determine, for example, the strength of the hair, the future mother-in-law stands on a raised platform and wraps a strand of the bride’s hair around her fist. The bride must sit down and hang by her own hair. If she does not leave torn hair, then the size of the bride price should be increased. Here you can use a trick - for example, take a thinner strand.
After determining the strength of the hair, the trusted gossips undress the girl, examine the skin (it must be free of moles and pimples), the whites of the eyes, feet (narrow ones with elongated toes are valued), figure, joints (it is necessary to squat without squeaking or crunching). After the bride price is paid, a wedding day is set, where the whole tribe comes. To take part in such a festival, tourists only need to shell out $80.
You can also meet a local sheikh in the desert, who maintains a decent mansion in Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh with a fleet of cars and servants, but from time to time he abandons everything and rushes into the desert to live in a cramped shack for a week or two. Apparently, the spirit of freedom and love for the desert is in the blood of all Bedouins.
A true Bedouin would not exchange his tent and camel even for a luxurious cottage in the city and a brand new SUV. Nomads find the hardships and hardships of life in the desert a hundred times better than the benefits of civilization. However, is life really that hard for them? Let's try to figure it out.
Photo: today.appstate.edu
The word "Bedouin" means "desert dweller". And living in the desert means constantly wandering across its endless expanses; such is the specificity of this harsh region. The Bedouin people began their endless treks across the sands about five thousand years ago, and since then their way of life has undergone only minimal changes. The permanent state of marching is for every Bedouin a life credo and philosophical position rather than a severe necessity. The people of the desert perceive crossings across seemingly joyless expanses as a blessing from above, and every Bedouin is firmly convinced that on the conventional social ladder he stands a step or two above the settled Arabs. The reinforced concrete principle of desert inhabitants is widely known, according to which even the poorest Bedouin will not marry his daughter to a city dweller from a multi-storey building, no matter how wealthy he may be. For life in cities and towns is contrary to the very nature of nomads. The desire for a camping lifestyle in the bosom of the sweet desert is much stronger for any Bedouin than the temptations of the so-called civilized way of life.
Photo: dakhlabedouins.com
The idea of constant hardships and hardships in the lives of desert inhabitants is just a common misconception. In reality, the majority of nomads are, although not rich, quite wealthy people. For obvious reasons, they do not produce or grow anything, but they drive large herds of camels, goats and sheep across their native lands. Therefore, in most cases, Bedouins do not live in poverty. Their daily diet includes quite a variety of foods, including fish, fruits and all kinds of grains. Nomads buy or exchange all this when visiting populated areas. In terms of housing, contrary to another misconception, the Bedouins compare favorably with Pushkin’s gypsies, who “spend the night in tattered tents.” For example, a Bedouin winter tent woven from goat wool is valued at a considerable sum of two thousand US dollars.
But stories about the deep affection of eastern nomads for their eternal companions, camels, have every reason to be considered even downplayed. Tribes travel on camels when nomadic, camel milk is extremely nutritious and, according to Bedouin beliefs, has the strongest healing properties, and camel waste is used to make fires. Not only is the camel the basis of a family’s well-being, but it is also treated with special religious reverence. According to the customs of the Bedouins - and strict adherence to the customs, traditions and behests of the ancestors is the basis of the way of life for any desert nomad - the body of a departed animal should be buried in a special camel cemetery!
Even when it comes to such an important matter as finding water in the desert, the Bedouins again rely on the instincts of their hunchbacked friends. If a thirsty camel lies down on the ground and flatly refuses to move on, then it makes sense to dig in that particular place. By the way, modern Bedouins happily use excavators to dig wells - tradition is tradition, but the people of the desert try to keep up with technological progress. Although in their travels through the desert, Bedouin tribes completely do without electricity, just like thousands of years ago.
Photo: fran-oise.blogspot.com
Bedouin women, who have never heard of emancipation, habitually take care of housing and the younger generation. Men, in addition to caring for the herds, are actively involved in hunting. It is only in Hollywood action films that deserts are inhabited entirely by poisonous reptiles and restless Egyptian priests. The nomadic routes of the Bedouins run through desert regions in which a skilled hunter can easily hunt a gazelle, a wolf, or a hare. A variety of birds also often fall into the hands of Bedouin hunters. And the desert dwellers need to catch such unpleasant creatures as scorpions to embalm stuffed animals with poison (the Bedouins have achieved considerable success in this art).
The tribe's evening leisure time can be spent honing the art of dance and storytelling - the skill of storytellers and poets is in the blood of the Bedouins. Old people teach young people to read the Koran. But special attention is paid to coffee at the evening stop. This aromatic drink occupies a place in the lives of Bedouins special place, and the subtleties of the coffee ceremony are reminiscent of similar subtleties of Japanese tea drinking. Coffee, according to the desert inhabitants, should be “strong as love and bitter as life.” Poets indeed!
Photo: fineartamerica.com
Bedouin conservatism does have reasonable limits. Just a century or two ago, nomadic tribes considered helping travelers and escorting caravans in the desert one of the main directions of their activity. Moreover, according to tradition, help to the oncoming wanderer was provided free of charge, but only if he really needed water, food and shelter, and only for three days and three nights. Nowadays the situation with caravans in the desert is tense, and Bedouin communities are developing travel business. The Arabian desert near tourist centers is dotted with fake nomadic villages. They go there as if to work, and intensively imitate their “life” in front of the lenses of tourist cameras. The sheikh of a tribe often doubles as its tourism manager.
Photo: howthehillsaremade.blogspot.com
IN Lately The official authorities are directing a lot of effort to accustom the Bedouins to a sedentary lifestyle. A citizen with permanent residence is much more valuable to the government, for example, of Egypt than a free nomad who does not even participate in the population census for ideological reasons. Therefore, the youth of the Bedouin tribes are offered the opportunity to receive an education, conditions are created for doing business... But even the Bedouin sheikh, tired of sitting in a luxurious city mansion, goes from time to time on a long journey through his endlessly beloved desert, replacing the rustling of the tires of an expensive foreign car with a measured tread phlegmatic camel. The call of the desert is strong.
Photo: kukmor.livejournal.com
Introduction
The concept “Muslim world” has several meanings. From a cultural point of view, this is the global community of Muslims, which now numbers approximately 1 billion 570 million people, one fifth of the planet's population, a community that is spread over a vast territory and a large number of various ethnic groups. In a geopolitical sense, the concept of “Muslim world” refers to the set of the most important, most developed countries in which Islam is the state religion and the basis of politics.
When we talk about the Arab-Muslim world, we mean the 23 Arabic-speaking countries (including Djibouti, Palestine and Western Sahara) with their Muslim populations. We will pay special attention to the Bedouins. Now we need to turn to the other side of our topic, the concept of “superstition.”
Superstition (literally - vain, vain, i.e. false), a belief that is opposed to true faith, formulated in the creeds of developed religions. From a rationalistic point of view, any belief in supernatural phenomena.
Superstition - phenomena and events in life as manifestations of the miraculous supernatural powers and a sign of the future. S. arose on the basis of primitive, relict ideas about the forces of nature. Belief in omens is one of the characteristic manifestations of superstition.
Superstition 1. The belief that certain phenomena represent manifestations of supernatural forces or serve as omens of the future.
2. Prejudice based on such belief.
Bedouin lifestyle
Superstition is formed based on the way of life of the people, their way of life, and living conditions. Therefore, let’s turn to this information and try to identify patterns and influences.
Most Bedouins live in Arabia and the neighboring desert regions of Jordan, Syria and Iraq, but some Bedouins who insist on their Arab origin live in Egypt and the northern Sahara. The exact number of Bedouins is unknown, since no serious attempt has been made to conduct a census of these nomads. According to rough estimates, their number ranges from 4 to 5 million people.
Bedouins lead a strictly tribal lifestyle. A Bedouin tribe consists of several groups that consider themselves related by kinship through the male line and descended from a common male ancestor.
Tribes can have anywhere from a few hundred to fifty thousand members. Each tribal group is divided into having proper names small subgroups with their own common ancestors, etc. up to a subdivision of several families called “hamulah”. Some of the largest tribes have up to five or six levels of such subgroups. "Hamula" consists of a number of closely related families, this could be a group of brothers or cousins with their families, living together, herding their livestock together and staying together when migrating. A family is the smallest social unit consisting of a man, his wife or wives, their children, and sometimes including the wives and children of that man's sons.
The organization of the Bedouin tribe is fluid. Its parts often bud off and join again, and from time to time strangers join the tribe. But at the same time, the idea of kinship itself remains unchanged, and genealogies are transformed through the invention of new ones. family ties and in other ways in accordance with changes occurring in the composition of the tribe or its subdivisions.
The tribe and each of its parts is headed by a sheikh, considered the eldest in wisdom and experience. In the largest divisions, the position of sheikh can be inherited within certain families. Sheikhs at all levels exercise governance together with a council of adult men.
Bedouins prefer marriages within the hamula. Often these are consanguineous marriages, since all people of the same generation in the “hamul” are cousins. Ideally, marriages are arranged by the couple's parents, and the bride's "dowry" is provided by the groom's family. Despite these customs, Bedouin poetry is rich in stories of secret love and elopements with lovers.
Bedouins lead a nomadic lifestyle. In winter, when there is little rain, the “Khamuls” constantly migrate with their herds and flocks across the desert in search of water and pasture. Most of them adhere to a regular sequence in visiting certain wells and oases, i.e. areas of fertility in lifeless desert spaces. In the completely dry summer, the “hamuls” gather near tribal wells, where the water supply is more reliable. Each tribe and its subdivisions are forced to defend their grazing lands, and they often have to fight for land and water rights. Some Bedouin sheikhs own entire agricultural areas, receiving tribute from them in addition to their usual means of subsistence.
The Bedouins recognize two main activities - camel rearing and sheep and goat rearing. Camel breeders consider themselves superior to sheep breeders, and sometimes the latter sometimes pay tribute to the former. Sheep farmers often maintain close relationships with residents of villages and towns, sometimes working as shepherds for them. Camel breeders, who consider themselves the only true Arabs, try not to resort to this method of activity, seeing in it a humiliation of their dignity. For all Bedouins, the camel is a very valuable animal both for riding and for transporting goods. This animal supplies Bedouin camel breeders with milk for food and wool for making fabric, and also serves as a valuable item of trade.
Necessity forces the Bedouins to produce some of their own necessary products food, but usually they consider this kind of activity degrading and therefore enter into barter relations with the rural and urban population, offering skins, wool, meat and milk in exchange for grain, dates, coffee and other products, as well as factory fabrics ( with which they supplement their own production), metal utensils, tools, firearms and ammunition. Bedouins use money little.
Since all their belongings must easily fit on animals for frequent migrations, the Bedouins use very little furniture. Their tents are quickly disassembled and consist of wide panels of knitted sheep's wool, laid on a frame of poles and poles.
Bedouin men take care of animals and manage migration operations. They love hunting and fighting various animals, achieving great art. They often find themselves involved in intertribal and internecine disputes related not only to issues of property (for example, water rights), but also to issues of honor. The Bedouins, like most other Arabs, are very sensitive to issues of honor and dignity; their infringement is considered a serious insult and can lead to bloodshed.
Cases of bloodshed are also associated with attacks on caravans and villages for the purpose of robbery or extortion of payment for so-called “protection”. However, in recent times, as planes and trucks have replaced camel caravans as the main form of transport, and the police forces of Middle Eastern governments have become more effective, such raids and attacks are becoming more rare.
The greatest pride of a Bedouin man is his horse. The famous Arabian horse is used, however, mainly for racing and light walking and never for hard work. It is poorly adapted to desert conditions and serves mainly as an object of prestige, available only to those men who can afford this luxury.
Bedouin women are busy with housework, sometimes caring for sheep and goats, but most They spend time caring for children, weaving material for tents and clothing, and tending to the kitchen. Although they are usually less segregated than women in villages and cities, Bedouin women are carefully guarded against contact with outsiders. As a rule, they live in a separate part of the family tent, designated in Arabic by the word "harem", and must go there when strangers appear.
The main product of the Bedouin daily diet is camel milk, fresh or after special fermentation. It is complemented by dates, rice and products from wheat flour or from sorghum. Bedouins rarely eat meat, on the occasion of holidays and other special celebrations, for which they slaughter a sheep and roast it over an open fire. Their favorite hot drinks are tea and coffee.
There is considerable regional variation in Bedouin clothing style. Typical for West Africa are men's outerwear with a hood - "gelaba" and a robe also with a hood - "burnus". Further to the east, Bedouin men wear a long-skirted robe, similar to a nightgown, called a “galabaya,” and on top of it a spacious robe, open at the front, called “aba.” For those who have more contact with villages, a jacket is more typical European style. Men wear a special headdress - “keffiyeh”, secured on the head with a cord ring - “agalem”. The aba and keffiyeh can be worn loosely or wrapped around the body and head for protection from the elements. Women wear clothes resembling "galabaya" or dresses with a defined bodice. In addition, they can wear loose bloomers and a variety of jackets or different types of aba. Women's hair is always covered with a scarf. Among some Bedouins, women may also wear a “haik” - a special curtain for the face, and in other groups, when unknown man women simply cover their faces with part of their headscarf.
The peculiarities of the Bedouin way of life show us that the level of development of this people is quite low, their ideological positions and living conditions have practically not changed in the process. historical development. Strong tribal kinship and patriarchal tradition of passing on knowledge and customs from generation to generation.
Let us now turn to the religious views of the Bedouins. Bedouins live in the desert for at least 4-5 thousand years. At first they were pagans, later, in the 4th century AD. Bedouins began to profess Christianity. In the 7th century, the Bedouins converted to Islam and began to speak Arabic.
Israeli Bedouins, by their origin, come from the territory of modern Saudi Arabia, who came to the Negev desert in the 7th century (in the wake of Muslim conquests). People from Sudan (they are easy to distinguish, since they belong to Negroid race) initially came to the Bedouins who roamed the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula as slaves, but later switched to the Arabic dialect characteristic of the Bedouins of the Arabian Peninsula and became full-fledged Bedouins.
Among the Bedouins there are both Christians and Shia Muslims, but the majority are nominally either Wahhabi or Sunni Muslims. Sometimes Bedouins settle near monasteries and later convert to Christianity. In the area of the monastery of Santa Catarina, built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in Sinai from the 6th century, lives a huge Bedouin tribe, closely connected in their life with the monastery. They still get free bread. Many of the surrounding Bedouins, in connection with this, even accepted baptism, becoming sedentary, and, changing traditions, began to build settlements around the monastery.
