ISTANBUL (AP) — It took nearly an hour of grappling with his opponent under the blazing Turkish sun for Cengizhan Simsek to win the tournament and join a long list of previous victors. A very long ...

As wrestlers battle for glory at the Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival in northwestern Turkey, passionate fans of all ages are seizing the opportunity to pay tribute to the sport’s legends. Wrestlers ...

EDIRNE, Turkey -- After nearly an hour of grappling with his opponent under the blazing sun, Turkey's "Tireless Wrestler" was crowned the winner of the 663rd Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Championships.

EDIRNE, Turkey (Reuters) - Some 2,200 oil wrestlers began fighting bouts at a stadium in the northwestern Turkish city of Edirne on Friday, competing to win a golden belt in a contest dating back to ...

Ali Gurbuz on Sunday won the coveted golden belt at the ancient 658th oil wrestling festival held in Turkey's northwestern Edirne province. The epic battle between two strong wrestlers, Gurbuz and ...

EDIRNE, Turkey (AP) — After a year-long, pandemic-induced hiatus, the sounds of the zurna flute and beating drums again greeted thousands of Turkish wrestling fans who returned to the country’s ...

To Turkish people, wrestling has become such an indispensable part of the country's culture that it is often referred to as an “ancestor sport”. Turkey’s northwestern Edirne province has once again ...

These may look like scenes from a movie set in ancient Rome, but this is actually the Kirkpinar oil wrestling championships in modern-day Turkey. Wearing only leather trousers and smeared with olive ...

The Kirkpinar oil wrestling festival takes place in Edirne, Turkey. Thousands of people from different age groups, cultures and regions travel every year to see Pehlivan (wrestlers) fight for the ...

Thousands of wrestlers competed earlier this month to try to claim the golden belt in the Kirkpinar Festival in the Turkish city of Edirne. But this is wrestling with a twist. In a tradition spanning ...

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world’s hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook and Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter. The Sultan, entertained by the tussle, offered a pair of leather pants to ...