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THE HISTORY OF KIRKPINAR

    Several storieshave been told to explain how kırkpınar wrestling started The tale below is a widely known one During the conquest of Rumelia, Süleyman Pasha, the brother of Orhan Gazi and his 40 soldiers raided and conquered the Domuz Fortress. While the troops were returning home, they stopped to rest in Samona, which is today in Greece. There, these 40 soldiers began to wrestle. Two of the soldiers , who were also brothers, were unable to defeat each other. On an Ederlezi day (also known as Hıdrellez, is a festival held on 6 May to celebrate the beginning of summer), they started wrestling again. The wrestling match lasted the whole day and continued at night but ended with the death of the two brothers.They were buried under a fig tree where they had perished. Years later, when their friends came back to the same place, they found a beautiful spring flowing. that the clean and lush springs flowing in the place where their friends are buried. Thereupon, that are was named as Kırkpınar which meant Forty Springs. This is how the tradition of Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling begins.

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THE HEART OF WRESTLING

    After the Balkan Wars and the First World War, Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling started to be held at Virantekke, which is located between Edirne and Mustafa Pasha Way. Since the foundation of the

Turkish Republic, the contests have been held in the area of Edirne Sarayiçi.

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ITEMS IN KIRKPINAR OIL WRESTLING

KIRKPINAR AĞASI :

    In the past, wrestling was held under the control of the agha and this was the most interesting aspect of Kırkpınar Wrestling. An agha the authority that calls the wrestlers, organizes the competitions, hosts the guests, provides food and accommodation, ensures wrestling in accordance with customs and traditions and gives awards.

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BAŞPEHLIVAN:

    Başpehlivan gets the biggest award of Kırkpınar and maintains the title of Başpehlivan of Turkey for a year. If he maintains this title for three years in a row, he will receive the Golden belt. The awards are given to the winners to encourage them. The award for the wrestlers may be a horse, an ox, a calf or a ram as well as money. In the past, Başpehlivan was awarded a camel, the second wrestler received a bull, the third was given a mare and the rest received similar awards.

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CAZGIR :

    In oil wrestling, the person who introduces the wrestlers to the audience and starts the wrestling is called Cazgır or Salavatçı. 

Cazgır introduces the names, titles, and skills of the wrestlers, matched by the refereeing committee, with special verses and prayers.

YAĞLANMA : 

    There are cauldrons filled with oil and water placed in a suitable part of the wrestling area. The bodies of the wrestlers are greased so that it will be heard for the wrestlers to hold and grasp their opponents. The wrestlers are able to get more oil and water from the pitchers (ibrikçi) whenever they like.

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PEŞREV: 

    Peşrev is a physical fitness exercise to warm up. This is performed in harmony which raises the wrestler's morale and also entertains the audience. With the pehlivan peshrev, the wrestler prepares his breath, muscles and spirit for the struggle that will start soon. After the introduction and prayer of the wrestlers who came before the referee committee to wrestle, the wrestlers start the peshreve by waving their hands and arms harmoniously, among the melodies of the drums and zurna that started to be played. After going forward three times and backward three times in a peshrev, first the right hand is touched on the floor, knee, lip and forehead three times by kneeling down with the left knee. Some even pick a weed and get it in the mouth and bite it. After this ceremony is over, he will jump again and shout as Hayda bre pehlivan. After this performance of the opponents, they touch each other's legs, rub their backs, hold their necks and catch their hands several times, and then the wrestling starts.

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KISPET :

    Kispet is the most important equipment in wrestling. The waist part of the kispet is made of buffalo, calf and young buffalo leatherand it is four fingers wide and thick. It is surrounded with a thick rope called Kasnak. The place that comes under the kneecap of the kispet is called Paça. A felt called Paçabent is put between the leg and the calf, the leather part is pulled over the felt and the top is tightly tied with twine. As this part of kispet is not tight, the opponents are able to hold their opponents' legs easily during wrestling.

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YAĞLI GÜREŞ OYUNLARI:

    Games in Oil Wrestling are categorised as standing games and games on

the ground. Some of the motions are as follows: Elense, tırpan, künde, kemanede sarma, kemanede dış kazık,boyunduruk, kazık, çapraz, dalma, köstek, sarma, sarmayı sökmek, sarmadan kalkmak, sarmadan kalkarkan kalkanı bozmak, cezayir sarması, sarmadan dönmek, sarmadan çevirmek, yaslayıp kol ile çevirmek, katır yuları boyunduruk, tilki kuyruğu, kepçe, köpek kuyruğu, kaz kanadı, gıcırı bükme.

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PENALTIES IN OIL WRESTLING:

    Subjects that require penalties are: Insulting the opponent, referee or spectators with words or gestures, arguing with the opponent during wrestling, not doing serious wrestling, game fixing. not obeying the rules and regulations of wrestling and not taking the warnings

of the referee into consideration. Competitions are held through elimination. Wrestlers who are defeated are eliminated and the winners continue.

ANTHEM OF KIRKPINAR

Kırkpınar March, written and composed by Beyazıt Sansı (educator, poet and writer) was accepted as offical march of Kırkpınar Oil Wrestlings in the Municipal Council Meeting, in the date of 02.06.2004