The Arg-e Bam citadel with at the top the famous Zurkhane (House of Strength), ancient Iranian sportcentre. Back to the History of oilwrestling.

Oilwrestling in Iran

The influence of Iranians on traditional Turkish Oilwrestling must have been huge, as in Turkey the traditional start of an oilwrestlingbout was and is still called "Peshrev" and an oilwrestlers is still called "pehlivan", Persian for hero. The chronicle of oilwrestling links back to Pehlivan Rostam, a brave man constantly saving his country Iran from the evil forces.

That was during the Persian Mythical Era (according to Ferdowsi's Shahnameh started in 1065 B.C.)
As Turkey´s Kirkpinar "40 springs", the national Iranian martial art continues today as varzesh bastani “traditional exercise”, better known as Zurkhane “house of power" (or strength) for the building in which it is traditionally done.

During the period Islam was brought into Asia, oilwrestling was established as a sport on it´s own. In Iran and the Ottoman Empire alike wrestling became the national sport.

There has always been a common respect for the oilwrestlers, being stronger than anybody, having a well built body toned even better with oil and clothed in heavy tight fitting pants.

In Iran wrestling grew to the customary institution of the Zurkhane strong house, where men do calisthenics and amazing feats of strength to the rhythmic accompaniment of chanting. It is the place where people go to socialize.

While in Turkey a popular tale fixed the foundation of the Kirkpinar to the eldest son of Ottoman sultan Orhan. in Iran the legendary pehlivan Rostam was believed to be the founder of the first Zurkhane.
The wrestler is the strong-man in popular culture (in Persian the term is "big neck"), but he is also known as the pehlivan, the knightly hero who is a free-living spirit, generous and loyal.

According to historian Burhan-katia the term "Pehlivan", in the Ottoman Empire used for a huge and honest person and as title for an officer or governor, was from that time exclusively used for the wrestling sportsman, as common in Iran.

The "kispet", also called "kisbet" leather wardrobe of the Oilwrestler was introduced by a group of Iranian wrestlers visiting Turkey in 1591, one year after a peace agreement was reached between sultan Murat III and the Persian shah.

Famous wrestlers from Iran came to Istanbul to compete with the Ottoman Champions, and the Turkish champs were invited to Persia to show their strength. Turkish wrestlers are known they have trained as far as the Zurkhane of Arg-e Bam, one of the most famous Sufi related sports-schools of Iran.

One story tells about some Turkish Pehlivan performing the Zurkhane in public in Arg-e Bam, a small Silk Road town, world famous producer of textiles and cloths.

According a popular tale the city where for the first time the special wrestling trousers of Iran were produced-

Up to today the model of the traditional wrestling pants is identical for the Iranian "pehlivan" and the Turkish "pehlivan". Except that the Turkish wrestling garment is made of leather and called "kispet", while the Iranian silk version is called a "pirpet" by the Turks.

The building Nowadays, the musical accompaniment consists of a drum and recitation of portions of Ferdowsi's Shahname.  There are various rhythms employed, and a variety of movements associated with them, including displays of strength in manipulating heavy objects (such as weights and chains) and acrobatics.

The Bam Zurkhane

The Zurkhane of Arg-e Bam consists of a court, around which the men who will perform arrange themselves, and a gallery for the ostad ("master") or morshed (spiritual leader) and the musicians. 

A steep road lead us to the entrance gate with its octagonal form and some rooms for the guards. It is located at the highest part in the center of this Iranian city. The value and importance of it is to the extent that all the other remains and buildings around it are known as the Citadel of Arg-e Bam.

The citadel in which is the famous Zurkhane is 180.000 square meters and enclosed by a fence of 7 meters high and 1816 meters long. The ceiling of the central part of the Zurkhane was covered with a dome. The wind blows through the building because it is open from four sides.

Here not only the origin of the kispet, but according to some historians, also the roots of the Peshrev can be found.

The Peshrev, by some considered to be a warming up and greet-the-audience ceremony, to others a participatory form of dance. Certain different from the usual step-right, step-left, step-right, kick-left, step-left, kick-right dance found all over the area.

The ceremonial start of oilwrestling in Turkey is, called by its Persian name "Peshrev" has clear links with the Zurkhane, symbol of ancient Iranian sports.

The remains are still completely apparent of the beautiful Zurkhane of Bam, ornamented with stucco and lattice windows. It is the second construction in the world, made of sun -dried bricks and its unique, architectural construction is registered by UNESCO. The Cultural Heritage Organization has taken the responsibility for maintaining and repairing of Arg-e Bam since 1993.

In Iran and Turkey the Pehlivan have always been known to be free enough to be honest. But at the beginning of the 20th century a difference in the ideology of the Zurkhane made it go astray of the oiled wrestling of the Kirkpinar.

P. Rochard called it at the Third European Conference of Iranian Studies* in Cambridge, England (September 1995) "the evolution of a tradition at the Iranian Zurkhane in 1905." Before that date the goal was to train for victory in a wrestling match. But spirituality prevailed In the Zurkhane as the training itself became main goal of the exercise.

In the Ottoman Empire they kept to the old tradition. Only the strongest and healthiest boys had a chance to become a Pehlivan.

After Balkan war of 1912 the place of the original Kirkpinar of Oiled wrestling was left. The annual match had to be relocated from Kirkpinar (near Samona in Greece) to Virantekke, now the Kapitan Andreevo checkpoint on the Bulgarian-Turkish border. After 12 years the Kirkpinar moved to Edirne. In 1997 for the first ever to western European Kirkpinar was held in Amsterdam. In the world of oilwrestling Amsterdam is now the most important annual KIRKPINAR after Edirne.
The organization of the Amsterdam Kirkpinar asked Mehmet Ayhan, the president of the Turkish Oilwrestling Federation in 2001 to make the Edirne Kirkpinar official Worldchampionship, so non-Turkish winners of the Amsterdam Kirkpinar are allowed to enter.

© by Mohamed el-Fers

*A. Rochard: Evolution of a tradition: the Iranian Zurkhane in 1905, Third European Conference of Iranian Studies Cambridge, England (September 1995) by Societas Iranlogica Europea.

The very best Oilwrestlingpictures at
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The introduction of traditional Turkish oilwrestling in Europe was initiated by Veyis Güngör and Mohamed el-Fers. The first Amsterdam Kirkpinar was in 1997.

Due to its unique opportunities for photographers and filmers alike, that first Amsterdam KIRKPINAR was widely covered by the international media in the Netherlands and Turkey as well as CNN. Nowadays the Amsterdam KIRKPINAR is the most successful ethnic sportevent in the Netherlands as well as in Europe.

It is not hard to relish and enjoy the great moments of the Edirne and Amsterdam KIRKPINARs with the very best of oilwrestling filmed by MokumTV.

This local Amsterdam television broadcaster introduced as first in the world Turkish Oilwrestling on a weekly schedule on the 4th of September 1996. And the show "Most Macho" is still running every monday evening on the local channel.

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