Wrestling in the Ottoman Empire
Title: While the Wrestlers were Wrestling (Pehlivanlar güreşirken)
Artist: Nakkaş Osman
Date: 1588, Ottoman Empire
Topkapi Palace Library, Hazine 1344.
Wrestling was a very common and important activity in Turkey, especially after the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Wrestlers, or Pehlevan, would engage in mock battles in public spaces to recreate previous Ottoman successes. This was also a way to make “diplomatic gestures” to foreign envoys usually present in these spaces and events.
This specific painting by Nakkas Osman records the 1582 festivities held in honor of Shahzadah Mehmet’s circumcision. During this event, the Ottoman hosts publicly practiced their martial skills in front of the Iranian envoy in a braggart manner, finding ways to mock the Safavids. This image shows how proud and masculine Ottoman attitudes emerge even in a sport practiced during leisure time. Wrestling also allowed Ottoman men to express their devotion and pride for their state.