Learn all about Kırkpınar festival
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| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Turkey Series at TurkishClass101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Turkish holidays and observances. I’m Michael, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 21 - Kırkpınar Festival. In Turkish, it’s called Kırkpınar Festivali. |
| Kırkpınar is a traditional Turkish tournament of oil-wrestling, or in Turkish yağlı güreş, that takes place in Edirne every year around late June or early July and lasts four days. |
| In this lesson, you will learn about the myths, history and facts behind the Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Tournaments. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question- |
| Before each bout, the wrestlers pour olive oil, or zeytinyağı, over their own and their opponents’ bodies. |
| Do you know why they use oil? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| Kırkpınar is one of the world’s oldest sporting events that has been continuously held every year without interruption. Wrestlers taking part in this event are referred to as pehlivan and the place where the contest takes place is called er meydanı, meaning field of brave men. During the Ottoman period, these wrestling matches took place in street fairs, which were typically held during that period. This event also involves other sporting competitions such as horse racing, footraces, and javelin throws. |
| According to myth, during the thirteenth century the Ottomans were in the process of invading Byzantine lands. During one of these raids the Ottomans took a break, during which forty warriors decided to start a wrestling match. Rumor has it that a bout between two brothers named Ali and Selim had an inconclusive result. At a later date in Edirne during the Hıdrellez celebrations, they started wrestling again. They continued to wrestle day and night, until they wrestled themselves to death, and were buried in that very place. Some years later, a strong spring gushed out from their burial place. In commemoration of this story, this place is named Kırkpınar, meaning forty springs. |
| Oil wrestling dates back approximately 4,500 years. Manhood, chivalry, fraternity, and leniency are basic principles of the Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Tournament, and it is also a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage event, which in Turkish is UNESCO İnsanlığın Somut Olmayan Kültür Mirası etkinliği. Even though it has yet to become an international contest, there are ongoing efforts to promote Edirne to foreign tourists, and introduce this intriguing and ancient event to the rest of the world. |
| Before the contest, there is a ritual which involves certain moves and folk dances accompanied by music. For example, the warm-up exercise called peşrev is facilitated to buoy up the wrestler and intimidate the opponent. After this, the wrestler leaps up and yells Hadi bre, meaning 'Come on, then'. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| Before each bout, the wrestlers pour olive oil, or zeytinyağı, over their own and their opponents’ bodies. |
| Do you know why they use oil? |
| Pehlivans pour oil over one another’s bodies to make it more difficult to get a grip on one’s opponent. Since oil is quite slippery, the contest becomes tougher and lasts longer. |
| So listeners, how was this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| Are there any ancient sports events that survived over time in your country? |
| Leave us a comment letting us know at TurkishClass101.com. And we'll see you in the next lesson! |
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