Ottoman Army cameliers

The Ottoman Army also had units of armed camelry at its disposal. The cameliers were usually recruited from Arab subjects of the Ottoman Empire but could, as is the case here, be led by Turkish officers. Like their British counterparts the cameliers of the Ottoman Army were mainly used for patrol work, scouting missions and small-scale raids.

Arab soldiers in the Ottoman Army could be distinguished from Turkish soldiers by the headdress they wore – Arab soldiers wore the traditional Arab keffiyeh while Turkish troops wore the kabalak – a cloth covered helmet introduced into the Army in 1909. Turkish officers were also supposed to wear the kabalak in the field but many preferred to wear the more traditional black sheepskin kalpak seen here.