Historia del Ejercicio Físico y del Deporte: Capítulo 11 Persia y Turquía

Title

Ancient Persian and Turkish Physical Training: Sports and Warrior Systems from 550 BC to the Ottoman Empire

One-Sentence Summary

This video traces the history of physical exercise and sport in Persia and Turkey from archaic times through the Ottoman Empire, highlighting traditional athletic practices and their cultural significance.

Key Takeaways

• [0:37] Ancient Persian societies, documented by historians like Herodotus and Xenophon, emphasized physical training in horseback riding, archery, spear handling, running, and marching as essential skills for young people, with competitions to identify the best athletes.

• [1:07] Polo originated in Persia as "Chop Gan Chopen" among tribes predating Darius the Great (521-485 BC) and later spread to India around 300 BC, where it became known as "Sagol Kan Hei" and eventually extended throughout the East.

• [2:08] Zor Keine (also called Pevan), a 10th-century Persian warrior training system still practiced today as Barcé Bastani, uses weighted maces (3-40 kg), iron bows, and rhythmic exercises accompanied by goblet drums and recitations of religious poems and mythology.

• [2:40] The kabach, a 30 cm iron ratchet with bells or rattles, was used in ancient Persian training to exercise arm strength through rhythmic movements.

• [3:11] Cirit is an ancient equestrian training sport of Trojan and Turkish ceremonial origin where mounted riders score points by throwing wooden javelins at opponents; it arrived in Anatolia during the Turkish migration of 1071.

• [3:42] Oil wrestling in the Ottoman Empire evolved from practices dating back to 2650 BCE in Egypt and Sumeria, with wrestlers (pelivans) training in special schools called tee and competing in only leather trousers while their bodies are coated in oil.

• [4:13] Kok boru, a traditional Central Asian equestrian team game where riders attempt to pick up a headless goat and drop it into a goal, has been recognized since 2017 as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Suggested Category Tags

History of Sport, Persian Culture, Turkish Traditions, Ancient Athletics, Equestrian Sports