Kirkpinar Güreşlerinin Tarihçesi

KIRKPINAR WRESTLING


There is a sort of wrestling in Turkey which I am sure you have never heard of. The Wrestlers cover themselves with olive oil. They also wear a special sort of breeches made out of buffalo skin and which is tightened around the waist and legs. The traditional place where these wrestling matches are held is at Kırkpınar ( meaning forty springs ), near Edirne. There is also a legend to this place.(In the past) The story of the Wrestling is here: Wrestling competitions were held in honour of the Sultan who was visiting the area. Forty men wrestled with each other and not one of them yielded until morning came when all of them fell down from exhaustion and died. There is also a legend to this place.

Suddenly forty springs sprang from the ground where they had fallen. And the Sultan moved by this scene, ordered that from now on all the wrestling matches would be held at Kırkpınar each year in honour of the forty men who would not be defeated in front of their Sultan.