Merchants among camel-herding Bedouins – 1930s — Syrian desert

Another desert scene from the collection of French enthnographer Robert Montagne shows the tents of town merchants that use to stay among camel herding Bedouins on a seasonal basis. They would sell them the necessities that the desert environment could not produce: sugar, tea, coffee, dates, rice, spices, metal utensils, etc.

Bedouins, their leaders in particular, where often heavily indebted to these merchants who also acted as creditors.