| |
Kırkpınar’s Protector:
Kırkpınar Agha
Although today the Kırkpınar Wrestling is organized by the Edirne
Municipality, Kırkpınar Agha, a historical personality, is still
preponderant.
|
|
Until the Republic, Kırkpınar Aghas were responsible from all the
wrestling organizations. Being a Kırkpınar Agha, one of the interesting
sides of the Kırkpınar Wrestling, meant to be an authorized person who
called the Wrestlers, organized the contests, entertained the guests,
provided bed and board, secured the wrestling be organized in accordance
with the customs, gave awards and took security order. |
A week before the wrestling, Kırkpınar Agha started to have the tents of
the Agha, the Wrestlers and the guests been built around the field. Two
days before the wrestling, boilers, containers and cooks came and started
to boil water and to prepare for the guests.
20 – 25 days before Kırkpınar, Kırkpınar Agha sent red candles everywhere.
These candles were hung to the ceilings of the coffee houses in the
cities, towns and villages. Their meaning was the invitation for the
people to Kırkpınar.
Turkish people, who tried to recover during the first times of the
Republic in remuneration for this responsibility of the Agha, could not
deal with the Kırkpınar organization between 1930 and 1950. Thus, the Red
Crescent and the Society for the Protection of Children undertook the
responsibility of the Kırkpınar Wrestling organization equally. Between
these dates, the authority and the responsibility of Kırkpınar Agha were
conducted by these associations.
After 1950, the Edirne Municipality started to undertake the organization
of the Kırkpınar Wrestling. The person who gave the most prices for the
ram under the hammer became the Kırkpınar Agha symbolically.
The Duties and the Authorities of Kırkpınar Aghas
The duties and the authorities of Kırkpınar Aghas include these rudiments:
To give the price of the ram (The money which he promises in the auction),
To attend the Liberation Day,
On the last two days of the wrestling, to offer meal to the guests, the
protocol and the wrestlers,
To follow the benefits of the wrestlers and to protect them,
In short, to undertake all the responsibility during the wrestling period.
After 1984, the duties and the authorities were set by the regulations by
the Ministry of Youth and Sports. This means to undertake the moral
protectorate of the wrestlers and to be the natural member of the
organizing committee.
The Clothing of the Agha
The Kırkpınar Agha dresses as “Rumelia Region”. There is “serpus” on his
head. This is some kind of a hat. The agha wears baggy trousers. His shirt
is called as “Camadan”, he wears “Waistcoat” on Camadan. The camadan,
waistcoat, baggy trousers and the cloth tied on the fez are all separately
embroidered. The agha wears flat heeled lacquer shoes (leather shoes). The
agha, who watches the wrestling in his tent with his guests, holds a
coarse 99-rosary made of amber in his hand.
Home Page |
|
