It’s called Kırkpınar, and for the lack of a better term, it’s Turkish oil-wrestling for guys.
Take a young, muscular Turk, throw on some thick leather breeches, douse him in olive oil from head to toe, put him on a playing field with a herd of like-dressed competitors, and you have Kirkpinar.
Kırkpınar it is to Turkey what sumo is to Japan, a sport that, while recognizable to all, is unique to its country of origin. Wrestling as a competition goes back into the mists of time, but Kırkpınar, with its use of oil to make the grappling that much more of a show, has in its Turkish form been going on for 650 years, and probably traces its VERY convoluted origins to ancient Egypt, with a later dash of Hunnish influence for color.
Taking place in early June in the sleepy city of Edirne, a little over two hours to the west of Istanbul, the grand Kırkpınar “match” is actually pretty serious stuff, both for participants and spectators. Wrestlers numbering in the hundreds assemble on a large grass-covered pitch, square off with an opponent and go at it until one man pins the other. And while you’d think there were some sort of laws pertaining to good sportsmanship, it sure don’t look it: arms and legs are everywhere, and wrestlers aren’t above shoving their arms down their rival’s pant-legs to get a better grip. And remember, these guys are oiled. Nobody wins easily.
However, it doesn’t end there—the winner of one bout has to then almost immediately go on to wrangle with the winner of another bout. Young face off against old, small against large, beginners against experts. Kırkpınar is literally a last-man-standing kind of sport (like sumo, by the way). And in the stands, huge amounts of money are sloshed back and forth in the form bets. It can get so hotly contested, the wrestling pitch is probably safer than the bleachers!
Steele Luxury Travel can arrange your visit to Turkey and include the unique Kirkpinar experience! Visit www.steeletravel.com.