Wrestling occupies a significant place in the history of Turkish sports. Even today you can still come across children wrestling each other in more rural areas, though it is not as prevalent as it once was.

What started as a playful challenge between two men generations ago evolved into the most exciting pastime in the country, becoming so popular that shepherds would even wrestle while grazing their animals.

Once upon a time, my grandmother's father, Ali Dere, a brother of nine siblings, would often attend local wrestling festivals. Sometimes, he would return home with a sheep over his shoulders after winning a match, which his family was happy to celebrate.

I have done a little more research into wrestling in my hometown and discovered some local figures, namely Halil Ertem, Ali Avci, Hidayet Çiçek, Mustafa Dilcan, Pehlivan Emin and Gulan Osman.

Dating back to ancient times, wrestling does not belong to any specific nation. It has been reported that Ancient Greeks, Indians, Chinese, Japanese and Romans would wrestle for sport as well. It is one of the oldest universal sports that represents everyone. Nonetheless, the fact is that Turkish wrestlers have contributed to the sport momentously.

Kırkpınar oil wrestling

There are many stories regarding the origins of Kırkpınar oil wrestling. The most common is that it began when the brother of Orhan Gazi, Süleyman Pasha, and his soldiers were taking a break after several conquests in Rumelia. The men started wrestling and two of the wrestlers drew in the subsequent competition. A few days later, believed to be May 6, the day of "Hıdırellez," the two men once again started wrestling to determine the winner. However, after wrestling all day long, the two soldiers died.

After their deaths, the other soldiers buried the wrestlers on the battlefield under a fig tree; and this is where Kırkpınar oil wrestling started.

Another story claims that Kırkpınar oil wrestling has continued since the conquest of Edirne by Murat bey in 1361.

Therefore, after long periods of practice, famous Turkish wrestlers such as Koca Yusuf, Kurtdereli Mehmet, Gaddar Kel Alico, Adalı Halil, Filiz Nurullah Ahmet Taşçı, Bayram Sit, Riza Kayaalp, Hamza Yerlikaya and Talha Akgül made their marks locally and internationally.

There are a number of essential elements involved in Turkish wrestling festivals, including the Kırkpınar agha, chief wrestler, announcer, the ceremonial anointment with oil, the traditional Turkish clarion and red bottom candles.

At the 660th Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival, there were around 3,000 contestants. People who enjoy watching wrestling can visit Edirne and take part in the festival, which is listed by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.

It can be stated unequivocally that Turkey is a wrestling hub. There are other oil wrestling festivals across Turkey such the ones in Antalya, Burdur, Çanakkale, Kocaeli, Bursa, Balıkesir, Muğla, Istanbul and Izmir. There are nearly 120 wrestling festivals in total throughout Turkey, which truly shows that the Turkish people still admire this sport. This number also proves that officials play a significant role in the sport still prevailing in Turkey today.

Yuntdağı Oil Wrestling Festival

The sixth Yuntdağı Oil Wrestling Festival was organized in October 2021 with nearly 600 wrestlers participating from across Turkey. Famous wrestlers such as Ali Gürbüz, Recep Kara, Şaban Yılmaz, Abdullah Güngör, Salih Erinç, Sermest Bulut, Ali Gökçen and Ismail Balaban were among the contenders.

In addition, the district of Akhisar in Manisa hosts another special wrestling event. The Çağlak Oil Wrestling Competition held its 562nd edition in August 2021 with the participation of over 50 top wrestlers. It should be noted that chief wrestlers Rıfat Güresen and Mustafa Yıldız are from Akhisar while Yüksel Kalay is from Salihli, a district of Manisa. The district of Turgutlu also organizes oil wrestling festivals.

Sındırgı district of Balıkesir

The first wrestling museum has been built in Sındırgı, a district of Balıkesir, famous for its wrestlers.

I had an opportunity to personally visit this wonderful district and museum through Mehmet Sırlan, who is from Sındırgı but works in the Gördes district as a school principal.

One of the famous wrestlers of Sındırgı was Şerif Pehlivan who lived between 1914-1977. He wrestled with his opponent, Tekirdağlı Hüseyin, two days in a row and lost over 10 kilograms (22 pounds) in a match, however, even this didn't cost him victory. One can only imagine how strong they had to be to continue wrestling.

Over the last decade, however, wrestlers from the city of Antalya have dominated the field of Kırkpınar and gained the title of "chief wrestler" 10 times. Mehmet Yeşil Yeşil, Ali Gürbüz, Ismail Balaban and Orhan Okulu are just a few of the dominant wrestlers today.

Wrestling festivals were also hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and competitions in 2021 were postponed. Nevertheless, with the measures and necessary precautions in place, wrestling fans are once again enjoying taking part in the centuries-old festivities.

Meanwhile, it is worth mentioning that the seventh Yuntdağı Oil Wrestling Festival will be held Sept. 24-25 while the 661st Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival will take place from June 27 to July 3.

It is a great pleasure to once again invite all local and international wrestling fans to join these lively traditional events. During these festivals, the special keşkek and other local tastes will be served to visitors. It will be an unforgettable moment for the passionate people of wrestling.