Latest news with #Anatolian
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Centuries-old oil wrestling festival once again draws crowds in Turkiye
Young wrestlers competing during the annual Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship in Edirne. — KHALIL HAMRA/AP With wrestlers taking to the field to the beat of drums echoing through Turkiye's northwestern border city of Edirne, the centuries-old oil wrestling festival once again draws enthusiastic crowds and celebrates a rich cultural legacy. The week-long 664th edition of the Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival took place recently, culminating in the crowning of this year's baspehlivan – the top titleholder in traditional oil wrestling. The baspehlivan title represents the pinnacle of strength and skill, as well as the deep honour and respect central to Turkish oil wrestling's heritage. Listed by Unesco as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, the festival traces its roots to 1361, when Ottoman commander Sultan Murad ordered a wrestling match in honour of 40 warriors following the conquest of Edirne. Since then, it has evolved into a cherished summer tradition, deeply woven into Turkiye's cultural fabric. A young wrestler getting doused in oil during the festival. This year, around 800 wrestlers from across Turkiye attended the festival, competing in 14 weight categories at Edirne's historic Sarayici arena. Some wrestling enthusiasts who travelled to Edirne for the event had to camp around the iconic Selimiye Mosque after the city's hotels reached full capacity. 'I came all the way from Kayseri, a central Anatolian province, just to witness this tradition firsthand,' said Metin Eren, a wrestling fan who pitched a tent near the mosque. 'Finding a hotel was impossible, but it doesn't matter – being here and watching the matches up close is worth everything.' Ayla Kaya, a vendor selling traditional snacks near the wrestling grounds, said that the Kirkpinar festival draws large crowds to Edirne, making it the busiest time of year for her business. 'I take great pride in sharing local flavours with visitors from all over Turkiye and even beyond,' she said. The sporting event is not only a showcase of strength and tradition but also a symbol of unity, cultural pride, and growing international appeal, according to Edirne's first female mayor, Filiz Gencan Akin. 'Kirkpinar is more than just a competition. It's a living tradition that carries the soul of our heritage,' Akin said. 'We've prepared for this event for an entire year,' she added. 'We upgraded the stadium, created a dedicated gastronomy area, and set up a special marketplace to highlight Edirne's rich cultural and culinary offerings.' As this year's event concluded, Akin shared that the municipality will begin reviewing areas for improvement ahead of next year's edition. 'We're developing international promotion strategies so that more people around the world can discover Edirne and this unique tradition,' she said. – Xinhua
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Horny hair transplant patient says his head ‘blew up like a balloon' after ignoring a surprising post-surgery rule: ‘Too hard too soon'
It's a hairy situation. An influencer says his head 'blew up like a balloon' after he violated the 'no-sex rule' after undergoing a hair transplant in Turkey. '[I] woke up the next day and my head was just absolutely massive,' Ruben Owen, 24, told South West News Service about the supersize side effect. Advertisement The cranial complication occurred in 2022 after the Wales-based social media influencer flew to the Anatolian nation at the age of 22 to get his lost locks surgically restored. 3 'I looked like something out of a film — it was something else,' Ruben Owen recalled. Ruben Owen / SWNS The content creator was reportedly concerned with his hairline and was offered the op free of charge provided he did some modelling for the clinic in question. Advertisement Amazed over the seemingly bang-ing deal, Owen flew to Turkey, underwent the procedure and returned to Wales the next day — a pilgrimage that cost him just over $1,000 round trip. All seemed to go swimmingly until the Welshman ignored surgeons' advice to abstain from hanky-panky for seven days post-op. Dome reforestation experts warn that partaking in sexual activities too soon can cause increased blood pressure, reopen incisions, and cause infections, among other complications. 'I didn't quite listen about the sex part,' said Owen, who reportedly made whoopie that very night. Advertisement 3 Owen had been offered the surgery for free in exchange for modeling for the clinic. Ruben Owen / SWNS 3 'I didn't quite listen about the sex part and because of that my face just went quite enormous,' said Owen, whose swelling took a week to recede. Ruben Owen / SWNS Unfortunately, this decision literally blew up in his face as the next morning he awoke with an 'enormous' noggin. 'I wake up and my head's blown up like a balloon — face puffed, scalp tight, and it looked like I'd been stung by 100 bees,' lamented Owen. 'The left-hand side was bigger than anything to the point it didn't even look like I had been punched — it genuinely looked like my face was going to explode.' Advertisement He was initially concerned he had contracted a sexually-transmitted disease, but then realized it was his fault for 'going too hard too soon.' Thankfully, doctors informed him that his puffed noodle was nothing to worry about and that the swelling would go down in about a week, which it thankfully did. Owen said he definitely learned his lesson the 'weird way,' but now sees the funny side of his accidental noggin augmentation. 'It is one of those stories that still gets brought up, and to me it is too good not to share,' he said. 'This is one of them things that I look back on now and it was really stupid I hadn't listened but it was really funny.' Owen emerged relatively unscathed compared to other horror stories out of Turkey, which has become a mecca for those looking to go under the knife on the cheap. Last month, influencer Ana Bárbara Buhr Buldrini, 31, died after undergoing several cosmetic procedures, including breast augmentation and liposuction at a hospital in Istanbul. She had reportedly signed up for the surgeries in return for promoting the facility on her social media.
What's On
11-07-2025
- What's On
Round the clock: Restaurants in Dubai that are open 24/7
Whether you're fueling a post-party hunger, powering through a night shift, or just in the mood for a 3am manoushe, Dubai's round-the-clock food scene has you covered. From sizzling shawarma and Turkish breakfasts to vegan sliders and Arabic grills, these 24/7 spots keep the kitchen hot all day (and night) long. Here are the go-to places where late-night eats meet all-day flavour Allo Beirut Whether it's a late-night manoushe craving or a 3am shawarma run, Allo Beirut's Hessa Street branch has you covered. This all-day Lebanese diner brings nostalgic Beirut street vibes to Dubai, serving everything from mezze and grills to fresh juices and Arabic sweets—round the clock. The menu is extensive, prices are reasonable, and the atmosphere hits that comforting, always-welcome feel no matter the hour. Location: Allo Beirut, Hessa Street, Al Barsha Contact: 800 86234788 @allobeirutgcc Operation: Falafel Operation: Falafel's mission is simple – to serve authentic Middle Eastern street food with a modern twist. Open 24/7, this JBR hotspot dishes out everything from crispy falafel and hummus bowls to sliders, chips, and even chicken options too. Whether you're post-beach, pre-party, or just hungry at 2am, Operation: Falafel delivers flavour, tradition, and convenience in one satisfying stop. Location: Operation Falafel, The Walk JBR Contact: 04 424 3098 @operationfalafel Huqqabaz Garden This vibrant Turkish eatery tucked inside Mall of the Emirates is more than just a shisha spot — it's a round-the-clock escape into Anatolian flavours. HuQQabaz Garden serves up everything from indulgent Turkish breakfasts to sizzling grills and mezze, all in a colourful garden-inspired setting. Whether you're starting your day with menemen and simit or winding down with shisha and mixed grills, it's a 24/7 dining destination that brings a taste of Turkey to the heart of Dubai. Location: Huqqabaz Garden, Mall of Emirates Contact: 800 47229 @huqqabazgarden While you're at it, why not squeeze in a midnight workout? Here's where to find 24/7 gyms in Dubai Images: Instagram > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
The Star
05-07-2025
- Science
- The Star
Ancient bread rises again
IN the early Bronze Age, a piece of bread was buried beneath the threshold of a newly built house in what is today central Turkiye. Now, over 5,000 years later, archaeologists have unearthed it, and helped a local bakery to recreate the recipe – with customers lining up to buy it. Round and flat like a pancake, 12cm in diameter, the bread was discovered during excavations at Kulluoba, a site near the central Anatolian city of Eskisehir. 'This is the oldest baked bread to have come to light during an excavation, and it has largely been able to preserve its shape,' said Murat Turkteki, archaeologist and director of the excavation. 'Bread is a rare find during an excavation. Usually, you only find crumbs. But here, it was preserved because it had been burnt and buried,' he said. The bread was charred and buried under the entrance of a dwelling built around 3,300BC. A piece had been torn off, before the bread was burnt, then buried when the house was built. 'It makes us think of a ritual of abundance,' Turkteki said. Unearthed in September 2024, the charred bread is now on display at the Eskisehir Archaeological Museum. 'We were very moved by this discovery. Talking to our excavation director, I wondered if we could reproduce this bread,' said the city's mayor, Ayse Unluce. Sari and Turkteki inspecting an ancient house at the Kulluoba excavation site in Eskisehir province. Analyses showed that the bread was made with coarsely ground emmer flour, an ancient variety of wheat, and lentil seeds, with the leaf of an as yet undetermined plant used as yeast. Ancient emmer seeds no longer exist in Turkiye. To get as close as possible to the original recipe, the municipality, after analysing the ancient bread, decided to use Kavilca wheat, a variety that is close to ancient emmer, as well as bulgur (whole grain made from cracked wheat that has been parboiled and dried) and lentils. At the Halk Ekmek bakery (meaning 'people's bread' in Turkish), promoted by the municipality to offer low-cost bread, employees have been shaping 300 loaves of Kulluoba by hand every day. 'The combination of ancestral wheat flour, lentils and bulgur results in a rich, satiating, low-gluten, preservative-free bread,' said Serap Guler, the bakery's manager. The first Kulluoba loaves, marketed as 300gm cakes that cost 50 Turkish lira (RM5.45), sold out within hours. 'I rushed because I was afraid there wouldn't be any left. I'm curious about the taste of this ancient bread,' said customer Suzan Kuru. In the absence of written traces, the civilisation of Kulluoba remains largely mysterious. In the Bronze Age, the Hattians, an Anatolian people who preceded the Hittites, lived in the Eskisehir region. 'Kulluoba was a medium-sized urban agglomeration engaged in commercial activities, crafts, agriculture and mining. There was clearly a certain family and social order,' said archaeologist Deniz Sari. Halk Ekmek employees mixing and cutting dough to make Kulluoba bread. — AFP The rediscovery of the bread has sparked interest in the cultivation of ancient wheats better adapted to drought. Once rich in water sources, Eskisehir is today suffering from drought. 'We're facing a climate crisis, but we're still growing corn and sunflowers, which require a lot of water,' said Unluce, the local mayor. 'Our ancestors are teaching us a lesson. Like them, we should be moving towards less thirsty crops.' The mayor wants to revive the cultivation of Kavilca wheat in the region, which is resistant to drought and disease. 'We need strong policies on this subject. Cultivating ancient wheat will be a symbolic step in this direction,' she said. 'These lands have preserved this bread for 5,000 years and given us this gift. We have a duty to protect this heritage and pass it on.' — AFP
Daily Maverick
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
Digging up the mythology surrounding women's ‘natural' expiry date
We talk to Josie Grindrod, one of the creators of a new exhibition of artworks probing the imagery that defines the feminine ideal of a young woman in her prime. Fecund is not a conventional exhibition. Visitors will enter it via a 'uterus' curtain and be presented with an installation of works, from paintings, works on paper, pottery, textile works and other sorts of detritus generated via a dialogue among its impassioned creators, Josie Grindrod, Clare van Zyl and Jann Cheifitz. The sheer volume of artworks, which evoke historical representations of women, is intended to underscore the trio's 'fecundity', despite their age. In their early sixties and with substantial careers in various creative sectors behind them – Grindrod ran a craft and product development business, Van Zyl heads a film production company and Cheifitz a textiles business in the US – the trio are unwilling to believe that their best years are over. In undoing this culture, the artworks probe the imagery that defines the feminine ideal of a young woman in her prime. Prior to the opening on July 9 at the Everard Read Cape Town gallery, Mary Corrigall, art commentator and researcher, posed a few questions to Grindrod in her Woodstock Studio. Mary Corrigall: What sparked your interest in the themes of the feminine and mythology in your art? Josie Grindrod: I've had a longstanding fascination with what's been historically called the feminine, though I'm also aware of how loaded that term can be. My interests are shaped by post-Jungian thought, where scholars look at images of the feminine from ancient times, such as the goddess in Anatolian and Greek cultures, all the way through Western art history. In our group, we looked a lot at mythology. We probably started with the image of Adam and Eve, which I've always found compelling. I went to a Church of England school, so I was deeply immersed in Christian iconography. That image – of Adam and Eve being cast out of Eden – has always haunted me. Over time, I also became interested in darker versions of the Eve myth, like Lilith, and the image of the snake, which holds so much symbolic weight, especially in ideas about feminine energy in Eastern philosophies. MC: How did the title 'Fecund' come about, and what does it mean to you? JG: 'Fecund' became central quite early on, though at one point we almost dropped it and thought of using 'Garden of Earthly Delight' as a subtitle. I love that the word 'fecund' evokes women's reproductive biology – there's a kind of richness, a sense of fertility, and even a bit of sauciness to it. I like the way that playfully subverts things. But it's also deeply about something being richly reproductive – not just in the biological sense of bearing children, but in plants bearing fruit or ideas being born in the mind. For me, 'fecund' means something endlessly regenerative and generative. That's what I love about the title – it applies to creativity, nature and thought. MC: Why do gardens and the act of gardening hold such symbolic importance in your work? JG: Gardens are woven through my thinking about the feminine. Historically, there's always been this link between women and flowers, and you see it in so much of Western art. But for me, it goes deeper. I think of gardening as part of home-making, traditionally a domestic activity, but also as something much more fundamental. Until we find a way to value the feminine principle – which is about care, interconnection and regeneration – we're stuck in a world shaped by a technological, masculine mindset that's led to a lot of our current crises. Gardening becomes a metaphor for restoring balance, for growth and rejuvenation, and for rethinking our relationship to both nature and the feminine. MC: What has the collaborative process been like with Jann (Cheifitz) and Clare (van Zyl) for this exhibition? JG: It's been quite special and also a little challenging! When you work on a group show with a clear theme, there's always the risk of just illustrating an idea, rather than following your intuition and letting the meaning emerge. But what's been unique here is that all of us are at a certain stage in our careers, and there's a sense of mutual respect and support. There's also a feeling that we're arriving at this moment together – where our years of practice, experimentation and personal growth are coming together. The collaborative energy has really pushed me to see new connections between my work and theirs. DM
