Page 11 - incirliovaweb

Foreword

İncirliova is located on the Büyük Menderes Valley – the most important crossing route of the camel caravans lining up successively
in Anatolia once upon a time. The characteristics of its geographical location rewarded this locality in the historical past by turning
it into an important center for the transport by camels. This environment, in which the social and economic lives used to be
intertwined with camel dealing in the past, is at the same time a locality where camel wrestles first originated and flourished in Anatolia.
Although the historical conditions disappeared, the camel dealing culture has acquired a strong place for itself in the social memory also
under the influence of the widespread Yuruk culture in this environment. The local people maintain this culture through camel wrestles
and carry on their desire to leave it as heritage to future generations.

İncirliova is a settlement which draws attention by still housing the unique traces of the camel dealing culture. As it is known, in cultural
research, special attention is paid to eating & drinking customs and foods around a culture under examination because the power of traditions
manifests itself on foods too, and they are generally resistant to cultural changes. When we consider in this respect, İncirliova is unique
in that it is the only place in Turkey where camel sucuk is produced. The camel sucuks manufactured in İncirliova are very well known
and demanded in every place where camel wrestles are organized. The butchers slaughtering camels in Turkey have also been butchers of
İncirliova for a long while. Besides, a tomb in which a wrestling camel is buried has no example other than that in İncirliova. The two farms
on which camels are raised in Turkey are both in İncirliova again. In addition, it should also be added to all the above-mentioned that the
season of camel wrestles in Turkey is opened with the daylak wrestle organized in İncirliova in November every year. Truly, some cultural
characteristics of İncirliova offer numerous pieces of evidence verifying that it is an essential center within the camel dealing culture.

The events which contribute, as an instrument, to the maintaining of the Yuruk culture and the camel dealing culture today have
decreased gradually. It is the camel wrestles which appear to have assumed this role in the most prevalent fashion. Truly, the social and