11 Crazy Festivals You Won't Believe Actually Exist
10. Camel Wrestling Championships - Turkey
Taking place every January in an ancient stadium at Ephesus, just outside the town of Selcuk, the annual Camel Wrestling Championship draws crowds into the thousands who line up to watch up to 120 would-be champs go head to head for the title of Turkeys toughest camel. Just in case the prestige of winning such a competition isnt enough motivation for these bulls, a female in heat is paraded around the arena to get the two competitors nice and riled up, ready to wrestle. How does a camel win a wrestling match, you might ask? Well, some employ a tripping move known as cengelci, others are taught to trap their opponents head under their chest (the bagci technique) while the rest simply charge and force their counterpart into retreat (which is known as tekci). As you might imagine, attending a camel wrestling match as a spectator is not without its dangers, with onlookers often having to flee as the fight spills out of the designated area. On top of a potential trampling, fans also have to be weary of flying saliva and as camels are retromingent animals, meaning they pee backwards streams of fresh, warm urine. As gobsmacking a spectacle as it is, its best not to watch with your mouth open.
