legendary Turkish oil wrestler Ahmet Tasci) is an Australian photojournalist who visited Turkey for the first time in 2009. Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival, he visited this and other wrestling tournaments over the next twelve months, to photograph this ancient Turkish sport. This
The Turkish Oil Me n
The Turk ish O il Me n
After learning about the famous
wrestlers
Tom Wyness (pictured left with
wrestlers
book tells the story of Turkish oil wrestling through his eyes.
www.vividpublishing.com.au / wrestlers
Tom Wyness
Photography | Sport | Wrestling
Tom Wyness
Wrestlers - The Turkish Oil Men 160 pages Hardcover 250mm x 250mm full colour Purchase this book from http://www.vividpublishing.com.au/
wrestlers The Turkish Oil Me n
Tom Wyness
Copyright Š 2011 Tom Wyness ISBN: 978-1-921787-36-2
Published by Vivid Publishing P.O. Box 948, Fremantle Western Australia 6959
www.vividpublishing.com.au First published 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, be it electronic or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Printed in China.
Acknowledgents: Yusuf Dariyerli for providing the back cover image. Thanks to the following Turkish municipalities for their co-operation and support: Edirne Belediyesi, Elmali Belediyesi, Izmit Belediyesi, Kagithane Belediyesi and Velimese Belediyesi.
INTRODUCTION
For over six hundred and fifty years Turkish men and boys have gathered across the
country to compete in the ancient sport of yagli gures, otherwise known as Turkish oil wrestling.
Dressed in leather shorts, with bodies gleaming from the finest olive oil money can
buy, wrestlers engage in a battle of strength and tactics, often lasting half an hour or more.
Wrestlers employ bear hugs, headlocks and tossing to try and outmanoeuvre their
opponent during the contest. Bodies are contorted and muscles stretched in all directions to the point of failure. Only the strongest survive this battle.
Victory brings euphoria and respect, whilst defeat brings anguish and pain. Amongst this backdrop of noise, heroics, winning and losing, there is an incredible
bond between the wrestlers. Where else would you see two competitors about to engage in battle, rub each other’s bodies with olive oil to ensure the contest is fair?
There are over three hundred wrestling tournaments in Turkey every year, with the pinnacle being the three day Kirkpinar festival in Edirne. To win at Kirkpinar is
to achieve the ultimate goal these wrestlers have had since their childhood - to be crowned the champion of Kirkpinar.
With the love the Turks have for their unique sport and the heroes made each year, Turkish oil wrestling seems destined to be a part of Turkish life for eternity.
KIRKPINAR 2010
KIRKPINAR 2009
KIRKPINAR 2010
KIRKPINAR 2010
KIRKPINAR 2010
Elmali 2009
KIRKPINAR 2009
KIRKPINAR 2010
KIRKPINAR 2009
(opposite)
VELIMESE 2010
KIRKPINAR 2010
VELIMESE 2010
ELMALI 2009
ELMALI 2009
ELMALI 2010
(previous page)
Elmali 2010
KIRKPINAR 2010
IZMIT 2010
KIRKPINAR 2009
KAGITHANE 2010
ELMALI 2010
ELMALI 2010
ELMALI 2009
(
K
(opposite)
KIRKPINAR 2010
IZMIT 2010
ELMALI 2009
KAGITHANE 2010
KAGITHANE 2010
ELMALI 2010
IZMIT 2010
VELIMESE 2010
ELMALI 2010
Wrestlers - The Turkish Oil Men 160 pages Hardcover 250mm x 250mm full colour Purchase this book from http://www.vividpublishing.com.au/