History

The sport of oil wrestling dates back to 2650 BC in Egypt and Assyria. In the Ottoman Empire, wrestlers learned the art in special schools called tekke, which were not merely athletic centres, but also spiritual centres, similar to those attended by the Japanese Sumo wrestlers, where it was taught that man is not just matter, but also spirit.

Since competition without the harmony of matter and spirit would be detrimental to the development of good character, wrestlers oil one another prior to matches as a demonstration of balance and mutual respect. Equally, if a younger man should defeat an older man, he kisses the latter's hand.

Wrestling was introduced to the Turks by the neighbouring Iranians, who call it Pahlavani, who in turn received it from India, where it is known by many names, among them, Pehalwani.

Matches are held all over Turkey throughout the year, but in early summer the wrestlers gather in Kirkpinar for the annual three-day wrestling tournament to determine who will be the baspehlivan (chief hero) of Turkey. Every year, around 1000 wrestlers attend the tournament.

Ottoman chroniclers and writers attest that the Kirkpinar Games have been held every year since 1362, making them the world's oldest continually sanctioned sporting competition. The Games have only ever been cancelled about 70 times. The matches have been held in Kirkpinar since 1924, where they were moved after the Balkan War. The original site had been some 35 kilometres distant.

Obviously, Turkish wrestling is a sport that shows the male body in a way that holds great erotic appeal for some (oil-drenched muscular athletes wearing nothing but short, tight leather pants who grapple in the hot sun, occasionally with their hands down each other's trousers). In recent years, homosexual men in other countries have become aware of Turkish wrestling, and even gone on tours to the Kirkpinar Games (analogous to heterosexual men attending a female mud wrestling event). This has caused consternation among some of the athletes and organisers, to the point that organisers have demanded that gay men not attend the games.