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In the Sahara, a friendly dance competition carries on an ancient festival tradition

DJANET, Algeria (AP) — In one hand, the dancers hold swords symbolizing battle. In the other, a piece of cloth symbolizing peace. They dance a shuffling “step-step” to the beat of drums and chanting from the women encircling them, all adorned in their finest traditional garments and jewelry.

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3 min read
In the Sahara, a friendly dance competition carries on an ancient festival tradition

Zelouaz, Algeria dancers perform on the last day of the Sebeiba festival in Djanet, a southeastern Algerian oasis town in the Sahara desert, on July 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Audrey Thibert)


DJANET, Algeria (AP) — In one hand, the dancers hold swords symbolizing battle. In the other, a piece of cloth symbolizing peace. They dance a shuffling “step-step” to the beat of drums and chanting from the women encircling them, all adorned in their finest traditional garments and jewelry.

They’re performing the of the 3,000-year-old annual Sebeiba festival of Djanet, a southeastern oasis town deep in the Sahara, just over 200 kilometers (about 125 miles) from the Libyan border.

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