The Bedouin Culture

Location: Arabian Peninsula, Africa, Sinai, Negev

History: The Arabs have two distinct cultures, sedentary and nomadic. The latter is what the world refers to as the Bedouin. The sedentary Arabs took advantage of oases throughout the Middle East and the Bedouin took advantage of the scarce resources by becoming nomadic herdsman. From the Arabian Peninsula both groups spread throughout the Middle East. The Bedouins migrate from oasis to oasis utilizing the periphery and moving on. Due to the nomadic nature of the Bedouin they were unable to establish possession of these oases from the powerful societies of the region. As the Bedouin moved throughout the region they were surrounded on all sides, the Byzantines to the north, the Sabaeans to the south, the Romans to the west, and the Persians to the east. During this period the region had many religious influences and the main religion was a combination of Bedouin polytheism, Judaism, and Christianity. The four major powers of the region began to diffuse and become weak. In 500 A.D. the Bedouin tribe Quraysh conquered the city of Mecca, which at the time was the major religious center. The final chapter and most important came from Muhammed and began the Islamic religion.

Daily Life: The Bedouin live today as they have for thousands of years, traveling from one oasis to another. They use the resources in one area while the others are replenished naturally. The Bedouin travel in small bands and live in tents. The status of men and women is clearly different, the men have a separate part of the tent called a mag’ad and the women have an area called a maharama. Music, poetry, and dance are major parts of the Bedouin life where they still fashion their own instruments.

Feature: The most recognized item in the Bedouin culture is clothing. The wardrobe starts with a long hooded robe, the jalabiyya. The men wear a headcloth called a kufiyya which is secured with a rope called an ‘agal. The women are required to have all hair covered, but married women place a wrap around the forehead called an ‘asaba.