29.06.2026 21:30
"Adem Kayın, a kispet master from Edirne who has been sewing kispets for 15 years for Kırkpınar, which he has watched since childhood, keeps the traditional art alive with the kispets he sews for wrestling wrestlers. The kispets, made in only 3 days, find buyers for up to 20 thousand liras."
Adem Kayın, a 47-year-old master of traditional leather wrestling briefs (kispet) for 15 years living in Edirne, keeps the traditional art alive by sewing kispet, the indispensable symbol of the Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival that he has loved following since childhood, for the wrestlers. Kayın told the AA correspondent that he is closely familiar with the art of leatherworking because he graduated from handicrafts teaching.
"MAKING KISPET IS A DIFFERENT DIMENSION"
Kayın, stating that he saw in an article about endangered handicrafts that kispet was also on this list, said he decided to keep this art alive and knocked on the door of kispet master İrfan Şahin from Biga. After a 6-month training from Şahin, Kayın began sewing kispet, saying, "Making kispet is a different dimension. You also need to experience the apprenticeship of kispet. Since that day, I have been making kispet for those who want it. I am also interested in the academic side of kispet. My wife wrote her graduation thesis on kispet. We turned it into a book. We are leaving a resource for those who want to know how kispet is made and what its history is after us."
THE WRESTLER DETERMINES THE LIFESPAN OF THE KISPET
Kayın stated that sewing a single kispet takes at least 3 days. Emphasizing that the wrestler's storage conditions determine the lifespan of the kispet, Kayın noted that it is impossible to wear the kispet without oiling it. Kayın, stating that wrestlers can wear a well-preserved kispet for 3 to 5 years, said, "If the wrestler washes the kispet in warm water after wrestling, then dries it in the shade, lightly oils it, and stores it in a basket, he will wear it for 5 years. But if he just wears it and takes it off and never opens it for 15 days, the leather starts to rot. The kispet falls apart even when left still. Some people think the embroideries on the kispet are decorations, but we do them to harden the leather. We use 6-7 layers of leather in the waist area."
KISPET PRICES
Kayın said that kispet made from calf leather is sold at prices ranging from 7,500 to 20,000 lira. Stating that the Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival, which he has watched since childhood, holds a special meaning for him, Kayın used the expressions, "Being a part of Kırkpınar is gratifying. Being part of this history gives a different pride. I see my name mentioned in books and research about Kırkpınar. I am very happy. This is the best gift I can leave to my child—having our name in history."
"AT THE WRESTLING, EVERYONE WATCHES THE WRESTLERS, I WATCH THE KISPETS"
Kayın stated that he particularly follows the wrestlers for whom he sews kispet. Explaining that kispets also struggle in wrestling, Kayın said, "At the wrestling, everyone watches the wrestlers, I watch the kispets. Unconsciously, I want the wrestler wearing the kispet I sewed to win. When he comes first, you feel great pride. The reactions from the wrestlers about the kispet I sewed also make me happy. The kispet is the wrestler's travel companion. He needs to trust his kispet. Since all moves in oil wrestling are based on the kispet, it must be sturdy. My master passed on to me what he learned from his master. I am continuing a heritage of about 150 years."