Camel Wrestling
Aegean Turkish traditional sport — two trained bull dromedaries push and lock necks; first to fall or flee loses.
👥1 per team🌤outdoor
What is Camel Wrestling?
Camel wrestling is a traditional sport of Turkey's Aegean region, in which two trained bull dromedaries (called tülü) push and lock necks during the winter mating season. A bout ends when one camel falls, flees or refuses to continue. The annual Selçuk Camel Wrestling Festival, held every January near Ephesus since 1982, is the sport's marquee event.
Quick facts
Category
Combat Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1 per team
Where played
outdoor
Country of origin
🇹🇷 Türkiye
Estimated origin
Ancient Turkic Anatolian nomadic tradition (>2,000 years)
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
Sources & provenance
Last verified 2026-08-24.verified