Cirit
Cirit , also called Cavgan , is a centuries-old Turkish equestrian game that the Turks brought from Central Asia to Anatolia.
Other Turkic peoples also play this team competition on horseback.
history
By Alp Arslan the game throughout was Anatolia known. It was later played in European and Arab countries as well. The Cirit game was also widespread in France, Germany, etc. in the 17th century. For the Asian Turks, the Cirit game was the greatest ceremonial and sports game. It developed from the use of the typical short throwing spear (cirit) of the Ottoman cavalry. For the Ottoman Turks in the 16th century it was a war game . In the 19th century it was a widespread spectacle and sports game throughout the Ottoman Empire and in the palaces. It was banned for a while in 1826 by Sultan Mahmud II because it was dangerous. After Mahmud II's death it was played again throughout the empire.
The game is only played in Usak , Balikesir , Söğüt , Konya , Erzurum and Bayburt . 40 years ago the game was played in almost every corner of Anatolia. The game is particularly popular during weddings and parties of village boys or in provincial towns. From Sinop to Gaziantep, from Bursa to Antalya and all over Anatolia, Cirit is a hero game like Turkish wrestling. The game is accompanied by traditional Turkish drums ( davul ) and flutes ( zurna ). The game is also played in Iran , Afghanistan , Azerbaijan , Turkmenistan , Kazakhstan , Uzbekistan , China , Tibet and Turkestan , where Turkic peoples are native. Cirit is played every year on the occasion of the Ertuğrul Gazi ceremonies on the second Sunday of September in Söğüt and in Erzurum, Kars and Bayburt on the occasion of various celebrations.
Procedure and rules
The game is played with two teams . Two teams of riders in traditional suits line up in groups of six, eight or twelve at the two ends of a 70 to 120 meter wide square. With their right hand they hold a spear (Turkish: Cirit). One team begins and one player on the team approaches the other team by 30–40 m. Then he calls the name of a player, which means that he invites the called player to the middle of the court. The challenger throws the spear to that player and returns. The selected player must now pursue the other returning player and then throw his spear, which is greeted by another player on his team, and try to return immediately. Now he is being followed and the spear is thrown at him.
If a player hits the opponent, his team gets one point. If he hits the horse, one point will be deducted from his team. The victim tries to hide while riding, either behind the left or right side of the horse or he hangs down to the horse's stomach. You need enormous stamina and above-average mobility for this game. Sometimes a player is hit 3-4 times in one move, so you can get several points at once. Serious injury can also occur if the ears or eyes are hit. In the event of death, the victim's family will not be charged. The players are celebrated as heroes. The family is even proud of a son lost in a competition. Today spears made of light poplar wood are used to reduce the risk of injury; in the past, date palm or oak wood was used. In addition, the surface of the spear is smoothed and given a cylindrical shape. They are 70–100 cm long and 2–3 cm wide.
Judges are old Cirit veterans who also announce the result. In the case of enemy players, care is taken to ensure that they play in a team. After the game there is traditionally a celebratory meal. The game ends with a big festival with music (Davul and Zurna) and traditional dances ( Gowend , Zeybek , Ciftetelli ).