The 662nd meeting in Kırkpınar Oil Wrestlings
The 662nd meeting of Historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling, the ancestral sport of Turks, will start tomorrow. The organisation will end on July 9, when "Turkey's chief wrestler" will be determined.
Nearly 2,500 wrestlers will wrestle this year in Kırkpınar, which is considered one of the world's longest-running sports organisations.
The wrestlers, who will go out to the meadow with their kispet, will exhibit the best struggle to make the rostrum.
Kırkpınar drummers will invite the wrestlers to the pehlivans (wrestlers) and the wrestling fans to watch the wrestling of the wrestlers full of chivalry and valour. The jazgir will salute the wrestlers who come to the forefront with their valour by saying "Hayde bre ram yiğitler".
Little wrestlers will appear first
The 662nd of the legend, where cultural heritage is exhibited with decency and manners, where the oil mixes with the meadow, will start tomorrow morning with junior wrestlers.
Kırkpınar, where every wrestler dreams of making the rostrum, which is considered as the "Olympics of oil wrestling", and where the tradition is preserved despite some changes, is one of the most important arenas where wrestlers want to wrestle.
The dream of every wrestler, who wrestles in other sizes from small to encouragement, from dustkoparan to foot, from deck to head, is to wrestle in the head size, which is known as the "stars of the meadow". The wrestles that the Kırkpınar audience is most curious about the outcome are the head wrestler competitions.
In the head wrestler's final competition to be held on Sunday, if two rivals do not have superiority over each other for 40 minutes, "golden points" will be awarded. The one who scores points in this section will be considered the winner.
1 million lira prize to the chief wrestler
In the 662nd Historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling, the chief wrestler will win a prize of 1 million liras. The second of the chief wrestler will be awarded 250 thousand liras and the third of the chief wrestlers will be awarded 125 thousand liras each.
The prize money to be given to the wrestlers who will be ranked in all sizes will reach 3 million liras this year with travel and tour fees.
Ticket prices
The ticket prices of the Historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling, which the spectators can watch free of charge on the first day, were determined as 240 liras for the first tier and 200 liras for the second tier for Saturday 8 July.
Those who want to watch the organisation on Sunday, 9 July, which includes the final wrestling on the last day of the wrestling, will pay 300 lira for the first tier and 260 lira for the second tier.
The official opening will be held tomorrow
Tomorrow the organisation will start with the welcoming ceremony for the squire.
Seyfettin Selim, the squire of Kırkpınar with 3 golden belts, will be welcomed by Edirne Mayor Recep Gürkan at Selimiye Square. Then a wreath will be presented to Atatürk Monument. The ceremony will then continue at the Pehlivanlar Cemetery.
Prayers will be offered at the graves of Adalı Halil and Kara Emin. At noon, a mevlit will be recited at Edirne Old Mosque.
The official opening programme will take place at 18.00 at the Square. 661. After the flag hoisting by Mustafa Taş, the chief wrestler of the Historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling, protocol speeches will be made and the official parade will be organised.
