BIRQASH, Egypt (Reuters) \u2013 Muslims often slaughter sheep at the annual Eid al-Adha \u201cfeast of the sacrifice\u201d which falls next week, but some Egyptians are thinking bigger.<\/p>\n
Wealthier customers are flocking to the Birqash market, northwest of Cairo, where traders from across east Africa bring animals for auction \u2013 not sheep, but camels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis camel market is the biggest in the world \u2026 it is the only one that still operates by word of honor, without paper,\u201d said camel trader Faraj al-Gammal, 50.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny businessman who comes from abroad, bringing in \u2026 camels, knows he is safe and secure here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Buyers inspect camels that limp around on three hoofs, the fourth tied at the knee to restrict their movement.<\/p>\n
Many are sold at prices ranging from 15,000 Egyptian pounds ($840) to 40,000 pounds, while some fetch as much as 65,000. Sheep sell for as little as 3,000 pounds.<\/p>\n
One trader pointed out that camels were reared more naturally than cattle or sheep.<\/p>\n
\u201cCattle get hormone injections to increase their weight, but camels don\u2019t,\u201d said Azmi Mansour.<\/p>\n
Used mostly for desert transport, camels also provide Bedouin with milk, meat and hair to weave into clothing.<\/p>\n
Eid al-Adha commemorates Islam\u2019s version of the biblical story of God\u2019s testing of Abraham\u2019s faith by commanding him to sacrifice his son.<\/p>\n
Meat from the animals slaughtered for Eid is traditionally shared with the poor.<\/p>\n
Reporting by Amr Abdallah; writing by Sami Aboudi; editing by Andrew Roche<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BIRQASH, Egypt (Reuters) \u2013 Muslims often slaughter sheep at the annual Eid al-Adha \u201cfeast of the sacrifice\u201d which falls next week, but some Egyptians are thinking bigger. Wealthier customers are flocking to the Birqash market, northwest of Cairo, where traders from across east Africa bring animals for auction \u2013 not sheep, but camels. \u201cThis camel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":103896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7863],"tags":[41345,2484,19441,41344],"class_list":["post-103895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-section","tag-birqash-market","tag-egypt","tag-eid-al-adha","tag-feast-of-the-sacrifice"],"yoast_head":"\n