Sinai
Bedouins
Wandering throughout Egypt's deserts, Bedouin nomads continually search
for fresh grazing for their camels and goats and water for their families.
They don't wander aimlessly, but return annually to various locations in
their territory where the land and water can sustain them for the season.
Little in the desert escapes the Bedouin's eye. He knows where and when he
can find water and whether it's just brackish or toxic; shrubs tell him when
it last rained and how much. Signs left in the sand proclaim who has been
there before him, when, the directions from which they came and departed,
the size of their flocks, and perhaps even the ages of their camels.
Bedouins navigate by the stars, familiar landmarks, and stone markers left
on a previous trek. They travel light, leaving caches hanging in trees.
Other travelers, if in need, are welcome to the food and water but are bound
not to touch the remaining articles.
Bedouin
Clothes
The Bedouin man dresses for the
desert, his layered and flowing robes absorbing the sun's hot rays
while allowing cooling breezes to circulate. He winds a cloth around
his head and neck to retard moisture loss that can lead to heat
stroke and to shield his face against the harsh, dry sand.
Bedouin women wear black
dresses and head covers embroidered in tiny cross-stitch designs:
blue for unmarried women, red for married. They cover their faces
with a veil highlighted in the same stitches and often decorated
with shells and coins.
Samples of Bedouin Craft Sold in Egyalleys
The Bedouin woman are very skilled in cross stitch and beading and they
do a variety of products to raise money, to help in supporting them in their
hard way of leaving in desert.
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