Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling in Edirne

Oil wrestling is old, and Edirne has been its home for centuries, traditionally dated to 1346. The wrestlers, pehlivan, wear only kispet, heavy leather trousers cut below the knee and stitched to measure, and pour olive oil over themselves before each bout, which removes every grip ordinary wrestling depends on and turns the contest into one of leverage, weight and patience. At the top level there are no weight classes and a match can run a long time. The field at Sarayici holds several rings at once, drum and zurna play through the day, and the week ends with one baspehlivan taking the belt.

What you actually see

• The kispet - hand-stitched leather trousers, heavy, oiled and made to measure.
• The oiling - olive oil poured over each wrestler before the bout begins.
• Davul and zurna - drum and shawm played continuously through the day's rounds.
• The baspehlivan - the head wrestler crowned at the close of the week.

When to go

The festival runs about a week from late June into early July, with the senior rounds at the end. Come for the final weekend if you want the best bouts, or midweek for space on the banks and cheaper rooms. Edirne fills completely, so book well ahead. Bring a hat, because there is very little shade.

Honest expectations

It is a long, hot day watching several bouts at once with no commentary you will follow, and top-level matches can stall into slow grappling that means far more to the crowd than to a newcomer. Seating is basic and sun-exposed. The surrounding fair is loud and commercial. Edirne's hotels raise their prices for the week.

Nearby

Edirne's Ottoman mosques, the covered bazaar and the long bridges over the Meric.