Birqash Camel Market or what is called in Arabic “Souk El-Gamal” is one of Egypt’s most extraordinary experiences. Just a 45 minute (60km) drive away from Cairo lies one of the biggest markets for camel meat in all of Africa.
Camel market of Birqash used take place in Imbaba, but as the city expanded, it was moved to a new suburb and now it’s called Birqash camel market.
Camels are annually herded from Sudan and ends in Birqash market. They travel over 700 miles and spend in total around three months on the road.Camels are herded through Sudan, Eritrea, and Somalia to southern Egypt. Then most camels are shipped to Birqash Camel Market in the back of large trucks.
Camels are traded there for cash or other livestock. The 1.5 square kilometer of Birqash camel market is cordoned off by walls with its roof covered by hay and sections to provide basic housing for traders along with ramps built for loading and unloading camels from the trucks.
The camels, which are brought from Sudan’s cities of Limrat and El Obeid, are considered the best in terms of the meat quality. This is because they are fed fine thorny vegetation, twigs, dried leaves and fish meat. The price of young Sudanese camel between 4 and 9-years-old ranges from 7,000 EGP to 10,000 EGP depends on its physical appearance Camel trade is very profitable and it’s meat is healthy, secure and free from any diseases like the other kinds of meat.
North African camels, known as dromedaries, have a single hump and can survive for three weeks without water, and one month without food while traveling in the desert. The camels can also store around 30 kilograms of fat in their hump.
Camels get the best use from their meals by digesting the food several times and quench their thirst by absorbing moisture from the plants they eat
Birqash camel market lasts from dawn until mid afternoon every Friday and Sunday but is busiest between the other 6am and 9am.