Karakucak

What it is

Karakucak is a wrestling style from Turkey. Two Turkish wrestling traditions are followed right across the country, and this is one of them; the Turkish Wrestling Federation sanctions both. The style also carries the longer name Karakucak Güreşi. Its contests are staged on fields of grass, and the same is true of the other Turkish wrestling traditions. Nothing about a bout depends on oil: greasing the body or the clothing is banned outright. Wrestlers turn out in loose trousers, and the whole look of the sport is plain, outdoor and ungreased.

Clothing and rules

Competitors dress in şalvar, the baggy trousers worn in many parts of Turkey, or in a special pair called pırpıt. Pırpıt are cut from canvas or from another fabric of similar toughness. Oiling is strictly prohibited, whether it is the body or the garment that would be greased. Beyond that, the rules of karakucak closely resemble the rules of Turkish oil wrestling, the better known of the country's wrestling traditions, in which competitors are slicked with oil before they grapple. Karakucak keeps the same contest but removes the oil. Matches are still held outdoors on grass.

Local styles

Karakucak is not one single rule set. Several local styles exist, each kept in its own part of the country. One of them, Köprülü karakucak, is practised mainly in Çukurova, in southern Turkey. Its rules come very close to those of Olympic freestyle wrestling, which marks it out from the rest. The other local styles are known only as a group, with no detail on how they differ from one another. What the whole group shares is the base: contests on grass, baggy trousers or tough canvas pırpıt, no oil, and a rulebook that follows the pattern of Turkish oil wrestling.

How Karakucak is kept

The people who take part are wrestlers, and they meet on a field of grass rather than indoors. Before a bout they dress in şalvar, the baggy trousers, or in pırpıt, sturdy trousers of canvas or a similar cloth. No oil goes on the body or on the garments. Once both wrestlers are ready, the match is run under rules that come close to those of Turkish oil wrestling, but with nothing to make the grip slick. In Çukurova the local Köprülü style is run under rules very near Olympic freestyle. The Turkish Wrestling Federation sanctions the competitions.

When and where

Karakucak is kept in Turkey, where it is practised from place to place across the country rather than in one single town. The Turkish Wrestling Federation sanctions competitions. The local form Köprülü karakucak belongs mainly to Çukurova, in the south of the country. All contests are held on grass fields, which is the common setting for Turkey's wrestling traditions.

Questions people ask about Karakucak

See also

World Nomad GamesA two-yearly contest of Central Asian nomadic sports, first staged in Kyrgyzstan in 2014JereedRiders on horseback throw blunt wooden javelins at rivals in this Turkish team sportKurashCentral Asian traditional upright folk wrestling using cloth belts or towelsKırkpınarA three-day Turkish oil wrestling contest near Edirne, held each June since 1360

Good reading and sources

• Karakucak on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-10.