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Didim's heart beats in Akyenikoy Town for the olive oil wrestling
Festival.
Beyaz Altin Yağlı Gureş Şenlikleri (White Gold
Spring Fest Olive - Oil Wrestling)
White Gold Spring Fest in Akyenikoy held under the main Sponsorship of Akyenikoy
Municipality.
Every year on the second week of April Olive Oil Wrestlig fans got together
at the small town of Didim Region Called Akyenikoy.
Local People of Akyenikoy are migrated Nomads. And This can be a great
chance for one to observe Nomadic Culture of Turkey too.
This year there were more people from newly locals of Akbuk and Altinkum Joined
the Beyaz Altin Fest of Akyenikoy.
During The Celebrations of Beyaz Altin (white Gold: representing COTTON)
people from different ages, different generations got together and celebrated
the spring's come.
Davul and Zurna are a must. Traditional Turkish folk music
Instruments Drum(Davul) and Zurna played between crowd while wrestling
goes on at the center of the circle. And when the drummer and Zurna Player
are closer to you, that means it is your turn to make
a motive from Nomadic folk dance. Turkish folk dance is very rich of motives
of how Nomads lived.
Most of the motives of traditional dance represents that -They lived up on high
Pleateaus as like eagles do- with eagle motive. Open hands in the air, body
movements are slow, proud but also lively and agile. Aegean Part of folk dance
is known with clourfull costumes too. Zeybek and Efe for Aydin region traditional
Men's costume is the most expensive one for all Turkey. Traditional costume
for folk dancers from Aydin region decorated with embroidery silk and full with
details.
Olive Oil wrestling is harder then any other wrestling. It is the ancestor's
sport passed generation to generation. Wrestling men in their leather trunks
pour plenty of olive oil to avoid of being catched by their rival just before
the wrestling begins. Olive oil wrestlers called "Pehlivan" in
Turkish.
Then CAZGIR (the announcer) presents them carefully. If you want to be
a Cazgır, you should have very b voice and poetic sense of humor.
Its like a telling a poem with the of Olive Oil Wrestler's name inside with
a rhyme.
While Cazgır presenting the wrestlers one by one, for each wrestler he
especially makes different rhymes while in his announcement. He may make jokes
but he is always carefull and respectful both to spectaculors aged between 9
to 99 and for those wrestler there both to keep the tradition and also for winning
the game too. Descriptive words selected by Cazgırs spontaneously taking
undevided attention of spectaculors about where does Wrestle One comes from
and who are his rivals going to be can be heard and listened carefully with
the help of todays technology microphone and speakers. If you are the wrestler
and Cazgır announces your name, you should walk into the center and show
yourself with your Pesrev. Pesrev is also means intro. It is also known as "wrestlers
walk". And Wrestlers do this like a special ceremony. In a deep consantration,
with a very serious face resamples b enough to win, clever enough to share
the meaning of the day.
 |
| Mehter Band came from Incirliova town of AYDIN. Mehter is also known as the oldest national Army Band of Ottoman's. One of the richest army band of the world ever. |
 |
| Traditional Musicians with Traditional Instruments Davul & Zurna |
 |
| Greetings to everyone |
 |
| Pehlevan and also former champion Mr.Mehmet Yılmaz Cino having Pesrev |
One should keep in mind it doesn't matter how b you are, it matters
how clever and agile you are too... And it doesn't really matter if you
loose, to be there, to have been in the olive oil and wrestled are the most
important. Even one photo taken with famous Traditional Oil Wrestlers is
good enough for most of them.
In the end if you show more of good acts and show your sportmanship to the spectators,
you will get extra bonus grade + better score by the referee.
This kind of organisation are held under the sponsorship big companies and organisations
to keep traditions alive.
Gureş Ağası: You still have a chance to be one of the great
sponsors of the day. theres an Auction during the day. Cazgır takes the
role of auctioneer and for the wresling day's biggest sponsor is being announced
by Cazgır just after auction ends up, behind the microphone. It is an open
auction to public and one who pays more will win title "the great sponsor
of the day" named "Gureş Ağası" in
Turkish . Actually this is just tradition. And this is also a good advertisement.
When they call your name or your company in front of all spectators, everyone
will remember even after years...
So the winner wrestler wins a golden belt (symbolic) which will be passed to
following year's winner (generation to generations).
This old sport of Turks and other traditional activities aimed to get
together and share. Tables around the circle are full of people from different
towns, villages along Didim Region are having good time.
Barbecued meat balls, traditionally cooked Nomadic style kebabs a must to try.
Raki or Beer or soft drinks on sale on your choice.
If you missed it, have to wait for next year...
Some usefull tips on Turkish Language: Despite oddities
such as the silent 'g' (ğ) and undotted i (ı) , Turkish is fonetic and simple to pronounce. Most letters are said just as they are written; but heres a quick list for trick ones:
İ - i as 'ee' from "bee"
I - ı like the 'e' in "open"
Ö - o like 'ur' in "burn"
U - u like'oo' in "moon"
Ü - u like ew in" few "
C - c like j in "jam"
Ç - c like ch in "chin"
G - g always hard like "get"
H - h is always pronounced and like "hat"
J - j is like in pleasure
S - s like in Six and "never z"
Ş - ş like in Ship
