In pictures: Oil wrestlers seek glory in Turkey’s centuries-old contest

It took nearly an hour of grappling with his opponent under the blazing Turkish sun for Cengizhan Simsek to win the tournament and join a long list of previous victors.

In the festival, which is on Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, wrestlers cover themselves in olive oil, making it more difficult for opponents to grab each other.

With the cheers of thousands of spectators and the tunes of drums and zurna flutes ringing in his ears, 26-year-old Simsek, from the Mediterranean province of Antalya, was presented with the golden belt by sports minister Mehmet Kasapoglu.

There were moments of joy, but also of tension. At one point, riot police were called in to secure the arena after wrestlers confronted judges under the scorching sun.

The wrestlers, wearing leather trousers called “kispet”, are covered in oil poured from a copper jug before the wrestling begins, and they engage in a highly ritualised procession to begin their bout. In the early stages of the tournament, dozens of wrestlers fight on a large grass arena.