Incredible photos from the International Festival of the Sahara

news.com.au

13 Feb, 2017 12:25 AM2 mins to read

Photojournalist Jakub Kyncl captured stunning images from the 49th International Festival of the Sahara last month. Photo / Jakub Kyncl

This is the International Festival of the Sahara, a tradition revered by people across North Africa but much less known to those beyond it.

Each year, in the Tunisian city of Douz on the edge of the Sahara Desert, thousands of people gather to observe a century-old ritual.

Over four days they witness and take part in spectacular fantasia displays, public marriages, unusual dances and other celebrations of the unique Bedouin traditions.

Scenes from the 49th International Festival of the Sahara in Douz, Tunisia. Photo / Jakub Kyncl

This is the International Festival of the Sahara, a tradition revered to people across North Africa but much less known to those beyond it.

But intrepid foreigners are slowly starting to make their way to Douz for the four-day arts and cultural event, which is held around December or January each year.

A young festival goer. Photo / Jakub Kyncl

Last month, Czech photojournalist Jakub Kyncl was lucky enough be among them. He captured these stunning images of what he saw.

"Douz is often branded as a 'gateway to the Sahara' as the desert starts literally just behind the gates of the city," Kyncl told news.com.au.

"The whole city was living with bedouins traditions for those few days.

"Altogether around 100,000 people [attended], mainly from Tunisia, as it is an event mainly popular among locals. But the reason some tourists come to see it is because they have a very authentic experience.

"Sometimes they decide to stay in tent camps in the Sahara, about one hour's drive away from the city, to have a complete experience. I did it two years ago - some of the camps even have air conditioning inside the tents, which really surprised me."

A focal point of the festival is the fantasia display - daring horseriders performing stunts on galloping horses - as well as dancing, including dancers from Tunisia as well as Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Egypt.

A spectacular feat of horsemanship. Photo / Jakub Kyncl

Kyncl's collection includes photos of sloughi dogs chasing rabbits, bedouin horse and camel riders and girls from the Berber ethnic group performing a unique, traditional dance.

Berber girls partake in a traditional dance. Photo / Jakub Kyncl

"They're sitting and rotating their heads in a very fast manner in order to make their hair fly through the air all the time," he said.

The event started as a camel festival in 1910 and eventually evolved into the International Festival of the Sahara as a wider-reaching celebration of nomadic traditions.