Oil wrestling

Yagli Gures (Turkish: 'oil wrestling') is the traditional wrestling of Turkey - one of the oldest continuously practised sports in the world and the national sport of Turkey. Wrestlers (pehlivan) coat their bodies and leather trousers (kispet) in olive oil before competing, creating a uniquely slippery grip challenge that demands exceptional strength, technique and determination. The Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival in Edirne, held annually since 1361, is recognised as the world's oldest continuously running sporting event - making Yagli Gures a living link to the pre-Ottoman Turkish warrior culture. Inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, Yagli Gures is far more than a sport - it is a profound expression of Turkish national identity.

Kirkpinar – The World's Oldest Sporting Event

The founding legend of the Kirkpinar festival dates back to 1357, when the forces of Ottoman Sultan Orhan Gazi camped near Edirne during a military campaign. Forty warriors began wrestling to pass the time; two were so evenly matched that they wrestled through the night and into the next day, both dying of exhaustion. They were buried where they fell, and according to legend, roses (kirk pinar – forty springs) grew from their graves. The first documented Kirkpinar tournament took place in 1361, and it has been held every year since, surviving wars, plagues, and political upheavals across six and a half centuries.

Olive oil's role is both practical and symbolic. Olive oil was a common commodity in the Ottoman world, and coating the body in oil made traditional grip techniques impossible, forcing the development of a distinct technical system built around the kispet (leather trousers), which provides the primary grip point. The greatest pehlivan are national heroes in Turkey—the title of Baspehlivan (chief wrestler) won at Kirkpinar carries cultural prestige comparable to a national football championship.

Rules and Technical System

A match is won by throwing the opponent onto their back, lifting them off the ground and carrying them three steps, or forcing them to submit. The primary grip is the kispet—the leather trousers—which wrestlers reach into and grip from the inside, creating an unusual but stable control point. Matches have no time limit in the traditional format, though modern competitions use time limits and point scoring to determine winners if no fall is achieved.

The pehlivan's ethical code—chivalry, respect for opponents, modesty in victory, and dignity in defeat—is as important as technical skill in the tradition. The davul (drum) and zurna (pipe) music that accompanies matches connects the sport to its deep cultural roots.

Training in Yagli Gures

Yagli Gures training is physically demanding - building the exceptional upper body strength, grip strength and core power needed to control an oiled opponent. Training includes wrestling practice with the kispet, strength and conditioning work, and the gradual accumulation of technical knowledge through years of competition experience. The wrestling community in Turkey is structured through regional tekke (training halls) and the career path from child competitor to Baspehlivan typically spans two to three decades.

Training in olive oil is essential for developing the specific grip and balance skills the sport demands - dry training simply does not replicate the conditions of competition. Serious pehlivan train with oil regularly throughout the competitive season.

Yagli Gures Gear

Kispet: The buffalo leather trousers that are the defining equipment of Yagli Gures—tight-fitting, knee-length, and the primary grip point in competition. A quality kispet is a significant investment and a source of pride for serious pehlivan. They are custom-made and individually fitted.

Olive oil: Premium olive oil is used in competition and training. The quality and quantity of oil applied are part of the pre-match ritual. Turkey's Aegean and Marmara regions produce the olive oil that supplies the Kirkpinar festival.

Bare feet and upper body: Pehlivan compete barefoot and bare-chested above the kispet—the oil coating covers the entire exposed body and the kispet itself.