It may seem a little weird in the first place to see two men wrestling covered in olive oil but Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival is one of the most charming, important, and inseparable part of Turkish culture. It is a very old tradition and every year thousands of people come to watch this fascinating competition among Pehlivans (wrestlers) for the purpose of winning the golden belt. This festival takes place every year during June and July in Edirne, Turkey with intensive attention of audiences. 

In the ceremonies, pehlivans show their strengths, experiences and health to each other. They are called with their skills, titles and names in the area. Greetings and some warm-up exercises are held in company with drums and bands. All wrestlers from all around the world compete with each other without discrimination and the last man standing wins the golden belt. This festival is a very crucial custom to introduce Turkish culture to the world because pehlivans are very important figures for the society by representing honesty, generosity and strength. 
If you are visiting Turkey for the first time preferring to see something different and belongs to life in Turkey and Turkish traditions, you should definitely visit Edirne during this festival. It will be worth it!