Bedouin tents such as these have long symbolized the strikingly beautiful and austere life that exists in the desert.  What many don’t know is that tents such as these can be semi-permanent, staying in one place for weeks, or even months.  Each tent is divided into several compartments: the open space in the center is reserved for gatherings such as mealtimes, a side area is set aside for sleeping, and another side area — or separate tent altogether, if one is available — is for the animals.  Bedouin nomads travel according to the weather, going north in summer and south in winter, for it’s the only way their animals can graze.  There aren’t many nomads left, as most of them have settled in the villages that rim the desert’s edge.

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