Bedouin (Arabic: بدو, Badu — "desert dwellers") are nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples of the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa and the Middle East. In Egypt they live primarily on the Sinai Peninsula and in the Eastern Sahara around Hurghada.
**History: millennia in the desert** Bedouin have been part of Egyptian history for at least 3,500 years. They knew the desert like no other people — its routes, water sources, weather patterns. In antiquity they traded between Egypt, Arabia and the Mediterranean. In the Islamic era many became guardians of the holy sites on the Sinai Peninsula.
**Way of life today** Many Egyptian Bedouin have abandoned nomadism and live in permanent settlements — but retain their language, culture, music and traditions. Their tents today are often set up for tourists, but the hospitality is genuine.
What awaits you in a Bedouin camp
*Tea ceremony* — Bedouin tea (strong, sweet, with sage or mint) is sacred. Traditionally three glasses are drunk: the first for the guest, the second for the host, the third for peace.
*Bread by the fire* — Flatbread baked directly on coals or in the embers. Simple, warm, incredibly good.
*Music* — Rababa (a single-stringed bowed instrument) and singing. Not staged for tourists — music is part of everyday life.
*Stories* — Those who bring patience and listen will learn more about the desert than any guidebook can tell.