Kırkpınar

Kırkpınar (Turkish for "forty springs") is a Turkish oil wrestling (yağlı güreş) tournament where pehlivans (wrestlers) compete for three days. It is held annually, usually in late June, near Edirne, Turkey since 1360. In the finals held on the last day, the first, second and third winners of each category are determined. During the tournament, also the Kırkpınar Festival is organized.

Oil wrestling is a sport at the forefront of traditional Turkish sports. Wrestling was held in all of the fairs organized all over the Ottoman Empire, but the wrestler who won the "chief" title only in Kırkpınar was known as the "chief wrestler" until the next year's Kırkpınar wrestling. This idea continues to this day.