Camel traders in Iraq's Erbil do brisk business for Eid

ERBIL, Iraq

In Erbil, the administrative capital of northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government, camel sellers are doing brisk business for the four-day Eid al-Adha holiday, during which animals are traditionally sacrificed.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Wednesday, the second day of the Eid, Tahsin Mawlud, a local camel seller, said he had already sold 30 camels at the city’s main bazaar.

“For the last three years, we have been bringing camels from southern Iraq to the Kurdish region, where we easily sell them during the four-day Eid,” he said.

Noting that camels generally weigh up to 500 kilograms, Mawlud put the animal’s average sale price at some $2,000.

“Camel meat is leaner than most other meat,” he said, “hence the high demand seen during the Eid.”

He went on to point out that Erbil’s first-ever restaurant devoted exclusively to serving camel meat had recently opened.

According to the trader, the demand for camel meat is generally found among Arab residents of Erbil, which is also populated by Kurds and Turkmen.

*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara