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Oil wrestling, one of Türkiye’s oldest sporting traditions, returned to the spotlight in Istanbul as the Presidential Oil Wrestling Cup was staged for the first time in 57 years. Held at Ataturk Airport Nation's Garden, the competition brought together leading pehlivans in an event organized by the Turkish Traditional Wrestling Federation.
The sport is defined by its distinctive ritual as much as by the contest itself. Wrestlers cover their bodies in olive oil and compete wearing kispet, heavy leather trousers traditionally made from buffalo or calf hide. With the oil making conventional grips difficult, bouts depend heavily on balance, endurance, leverage and the ability to control an opponent through the kispet.
Oil wrestling has deep roots in Anatolia and the wider Ottoman sporting tradition, where wrestling occupied an important place in military training, public festivities and palace culture. Over centuries, the figure of the pehlivan came to represent not only physical strength but also discipline, respect and mastery of a highly codified wrestling culture.
At the Istanbul competition, the traditional elements of the sport remained visible throughout the day: wrestlers preparing their kispet, oil being poured before bouts, competitors locking arms on the grass and attendants moving between contests. The setting combined the ceremonial character of traditional wrestling with the atmosphere of a modern sporting event watched by spectators from the stands.
The competition featured eight baspehlivans, the highest-ranking wrestlers in Turkish oil wrestling, alongside dozens of other pehlivans competing across the program. In total, 84 wrestlers took part, bringing together different generations of athletes within a tradition that continues to maintain a strong following across Türkiye.
Unlike wrestling on a mat, oil wrestling unfolds on grass and allows bouts to develop through prolonged physical struggles in which small shifts in weight or grip can decide the outcome. Wrestlers frequently work from close body contact, attempting throws, lifts and control techniques while the oil continuously complicates their ability to maintain a hold.
Away from the most intense exchanges, the competition also revealed the less visible side of the sport: wrestlers resting after bouts, cleaning themselves, adjusting equipment and preparing physically for another contest. These moments form part of the rhythm of an oil wrestling tournament, where endurance can be as decisive as strength.
The Presidential Oil Wrestling Cup adds another competition to a sporting calendar whose most famous event remains the historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival in Edirne. The revival of the presidential cup after more than half a century places another chapter of Türkiye’s traditional wrestling culture before a contemporary audience.
The event was open to the public free of charge, drawing spectators to watch a sport that has preserved many of its characteristic rituals despite changes in rules, organization and presentation over time. From the leather kispet to the oil-filled pitchers and grass field, much of the visual language of oil wrestling remains immediately recognizable.
Across the field, the photographs capture both the physical severity and ceremonial character of the competition: wrestlers locked in close combat, exhausted athletes stepping away from the grass, officials preparing oil and the championship belt waiting beside the field. Together, the scenes offer a contemporary view of a tradition that has remained embedded in Türkiye’s sporting culture for centuries.
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