Camel Market - A unique shopping experience!
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Summary - The Al Ain camel market in Abu Dhabi is a daily market which is always bustling with activity and loud sales pitches in many dialects. It provides an unusual experience which makes for it a must visit for the travellers to the city.
Camels have always been an integral part in the Middle Eastern countries due to the animal's amazing endurance in harsh desert climates and conditions. From ancient times during the Bedouin tribe era, camels were considered man's best friend in the Middle East. In fact camels were so important that they functioned as a form of alternative currency. An Arabian man's wealth was judged by how many camels he owned and a brides' dowry price too could therefore be paid in camels!
Apart from the ability to withstand desert conditions due to their water retention capability, a camel has an ideal body temperature which does not allow excessive sweating thereby further retaining water. Their feet can easily walk on sand without sinking and eyelashes keep out the sand from entering the eyes during a sand storm.
Camels' meat is eaten and is in fact a delicacy even today - especially the hump, its milk is considered extremely nutritious, and as the Arab world moves away from desert oriented life style, camel races are becoming extremely important. The wool of a camel is also used to make shoes, handbags, rugs and in some instances even musical instruments.
The Al Ain Camel Market is the last remaining camel market in Abu Dhabi. It remains extremely popular and attracts large crowds - both locals and foreigners and is open daily. Fenced Paddocks keep the various types of camels segregated. Black camels are those used for shows and are highly prized, the tan camels are thin legged and are the preferred choice for racing, round belly camels are kept for milking purposes and the bull camels are usually the fierce, teeth barring camels kept for breeding purposes. The market also has baby camels of various ages.
Visitors also have the option of going for camel rides when they visit the market. Arab camels are traditionally those with one hump which is distinct from its Central Asian counter part which has two humps. The breeds available at the market are usually Misk, Shtoota and Dhabian.
Those looking for luxury Abu Dhabi hotels from which to base themselves during their stay may be interested in unique Abu Dhabi beach hotels. Hotels falling under this category offer unparalleled amenities and excursion options including that of the camel market. The Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara is one such excellent resort.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.
Category Article Camel, experience, Market, shopping, Unique
