Beat the drums
Every year, from June 29 to July 1, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire, Edirne, hosts a wrestling festival. Kirkpinar, an oil wrestling tournament, has been held annually for more than 630 years. It opens with a prayer recited by the cazgir, the tournament's announcer, who then calls out: "In the name of God! If you fall, submit — if you're on top, carry on!"
The wrestlers are spurred on by the rhythm of drums and zurna music. The historic atmosphere at the event is something you can feel in the air.
After the prayer, the wrestlers step onto the field and begin a warm-up called pesrev. The movements resemble the way an eagle flaps its wings as it closes in on its prey. They then perform a traditional greeting gesture: striking the ground with the right hand, then touching it to the chest and forehead. Directed at their opponent, it means: "You are such a great wrestler that I am not worthy of being part of the ground you walk on."
In Ottoman times, this three-day tournament was held every year in the village of Kirkpinar (near Edirne). Today the village is called Samona and is part of Greece, which is why the Kirkpinar wrestling tournament is now held in Sarayiçi, in Edirne. Just as in the old days, wrestlers from all over Turkey spend the entire preceding year preparing for it. Restaurants, tea houses, and street performances turn the field into a colorful, lively fairground.
The wrestlers wear breeches made of cow or goat leather called kispet, and rub their bodies with olive oil before every bout. The tournament is opened by the aga (master), the person who made the largest donation toward organizing it. Across the three days, the field is never empty. The wrestlers are split into ten categories based on their prior experience and competition record — tesvik, deste kucuk boy, deste orta boy, deste buyuk boy, orta kucuk boy, kucuk orta, buyuk boy, buyuk orta, bas alti, and bas gures. The top category, bas gures, is contested on the final day, and the two wrestlers who make it to the final compete for the Golden Belt. The final bout can last several hours. Wrestlers who win the Kirkpinar title three years running are awarded a belt made of 1,450g of gold by the city of Edirne. There's one consolation for the losers — the chance to try again at next year's tournament.
