Turkish National Sport Courtesy of Discreet Magazine

Oil wrestling, also called grease wrestling, is the Turkish national sport. It is so called because the wrestlers douse themselves with olive oil.  The wrestlers, known as Pehlivan, wear a type of hand-stitched lederhosen called a Kisbet, which is traditionally made of water buffalo hide, and most recently has been made of calfskin.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE GAME
Well, the goal is not for one oiled-up muscular man to shove his hand down the pants of another, while this may be true, there’s a little more to it than that.  Points are scored by achieving an effective hold of the kisbet. So the wrestlers are trying to achieve leverage by putting their arms through their opponent’s kisbet. Given the wrestlers are covered in olive oil, it’s almost impossible for them to get a good grip or hold. The covering of oil also makes the goal of the match – to throw one’s opponent on his back – all the more difficult. The matches last about 30 minutes each, while the final bout can last up to two exhausting hours.