Sport & games
Yağlı güreş
Oil wrestling, and the Kırkpınar tournament held in Edirne since the 1300s.
The Turkish name
Yağlı güreş
Recording on its way.
The story
In yağlı güreş, wrestlers in leather trousers cover themselves in olive oil and grapple on grass, which makes every hold slippery and every match a test of patience. The winner is the başpehlivan, the head wrestler.
Kırkpınar near Edirne claims to be the oldest running sporting event in the world, held since the 14th century, and UNESCO listed it as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010.
At a glance
- Tournament
- Kırkpınar, Edirne, late June or July
- UNESCO
- Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2010
- Champion's title
- Başpehlivan
Read more
This page was written from these sources.
- Kırkpınar oil wrestling festival ↗UNESCO · Checked 2026-09-23