When the subject is ancestral sport, wrestling is the first word that springs to mind. This ancient sport, which is contested in olympics in our they with difrent styles such as Greco-Roman and free style, actually has a meaning far beyond that. This sport conveys the memories of the brave soldiers of the past as well as the traces of the Turkish History and culture to our day. The most rooted organization where we can see all of this together is the KIRKPINAR Oil Wrestling Festival, 657 of which will be held this year between 9/15 july 2018.
Rumor has it that during the Rumelian campaign of Orhan Ghazi, his sun Sulemian Ghazi and his retiune of 40 soldiers stopped over in Simavina (Samona) which is today within the boundaries of Greece. Right there 40 soldiers started wrestling but the two brave men among them, Ali and Selim were unable to defeat each other. No result could be achieved after the horse of struggle. This two brave men wrestled again in Ahiköy near Edirne on the "Hıdırellez day". Days and night passed quickly, but their contest did not end. Bot run short of the breath and passed away where day wrestled. Their friends burried them under a fig tree. After many years, when they came to the same place, they saw a spring running at the point where there were the tombs of the two wrestlers. After a while, the public named this places KIRKPINAR (40 springs) having conquered Edirne in 1361, Sultan Murat 1 estabished a wrestlers lodge in the memory of 40 brawe men, particularly Ali and Selim and ensured that wrestling tournaments, in other words KIRKPINAR Wrestling Festival would annualy be held.
Candles with a red base are traditionaly send to person to be invited to the wrestling contest. This tradition is still pursued today. Wrestlers wear kıspet (a kind of trousers), which means a cloth produced from the cattles pelt and worn under waist. This kıspets, which are the produced of the efforts of masters few in number, are carried in small hand made baskets called zembil.
Wrestlers must have a strong balance and succeed in unbalancing the opponent, as well. Thus, brute force is substituted by skill and mastership.
Wrestling contest start with the company of drums, zurnas and prayers. İt this cazgırs (annoncer) Job to recite prayers. Wrestlers step back and forth, touch the ground on their knees and touch the soil witg there hands. While they walk by beating their kıspets, with their soled posture on open arms, they show their bravery and challange their apponents. Rivals check the strength of each other with slight touches and continue walking
repeated thrice, this flamboyant rituel is called peşrev (an opening rituel) and the best wrestler in peşrev is awarded. Then comes the sine qua non of KIRKPINAR the oiling stage. Firstly, the right side of the body is oiled with the left hand than the left side with the right. During this procces, wrestlers help each other. Of course the oiling procces has a purpose. Owing to the oil, it gets hard to grab the opponent. This makes wrestling acquire a meanning beyond a straggle based on brute force because wrestlers must have a strong balance and the succed in balancing the opponent, as well. Thus, brute force is substituted by skill and mastership. The winner of the wrestling competition, which last three days, is declared the chief wrestler and awarded the golden belt for a year. If the same person succeds in becoming chief wrestler three years in a row, he is entitled to permanently own golden belt.
From is wreslers to the Agha (master) of KIRKPINAR, from drummers and zurna players to oilers, from kıspet to headlock the KIRKPINAR Wrestling Festival is a part of our history and culture, which has been passed down from one generation to the next for centuries.
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