Oil Wrestling is the National Sport of Turkey and the oldest continually running sport in the world. It dates back to the 17th Century time of the Ottomans and legend has it that it all began when Sultan Orhan Gazi was in battle to capture Thrace - the European side of Turkey. The Sultan had captured the forts in the region and as the soldiers were all camping out waiting for battle, they decided to wrestle for fun. The Pasha at the time, Suleyman, promised the winner leather pants, now commonly known as the kispet, which are still worn in tournaments today. The two men wrestled day, into the night until out of sheer exhaustion both died. It became tradition within the Ottoman armies, the men would take up wrestling to keep well conditioned. Wrestling was all about strength and endurance, not fancy moves.
Now days the men are still truly dedicated to the sport. Normally starting at around the age of 12 and wrestling up until the age of 50 +, these men gain their condition through practise in the open fields. There are no gyms, no weights just sheer dedication to something they hold dear to them. With very few forbidden rules, the sport is fierce and the men are in it to win it. However, true camaraderie is always shown, as they are also the first ones to assist one another if injured, or sweat or grass gets in the opponents eyes. They have also been known to walk off the field together arm in arm. There are competitions all around Turkey throughout the year, but the most popular one is held in late June, early July in Edirne. It is the oldest running competition in Turkey, dating back to 1362 and the three day festival is where the champion for the year is declared.
The men arrive shirtless and in their kismet - leather trunks. They then proceed to cover themselves with olive oil and water before the match; to endure the heat of the day. They line up along the side of the field until they are introduced by the master of ceremonies. He summons them in Allah's name to have a fierce and fair battle on the field. Each opponent then wanders onto the field, kneels for prayer then starts jumping around and warming himself up for the match. Before the action begins, the opponents will greet each other 4 times as they exchange symbolic greetings, the last one shaking hands and the match is ready to commence. The fights used to have no time limit imposed on them so the fights could last for days on end, however in modern times they limit matches to around 30 - 40 minutes. The first wrestler who can turn his opponent and expose his umbilicus to the skies is declared the winner.
With such an incredible history to the sport and such a sense of friendship shown even against the most fiercest battlers, this experience in Turkey is one you could not feel anywhere else in the world.
