For more than five centuries, women in a historic village in northwestern Türkiye have taken charge for one day each year, sending the men outside the village and temporarily running local affairs as part of an Ottoman-era tradition.
The unusual custom continues in Kozluören, a 721-year-old rural neighborhood in Bursa's Kestel district, where women once again assumed control of village life during the annual Kozluören Oil Wrestling and Women's Day Rice Festival.
Early in the morning, women sent all men, except children, out of the neighborhood accompanied by the sounds of a traditional Ottoman mehter military band.
With the men gone, women took over local administration and businesses in what residents describe as the "women's one-day reign."
Under the centuries-old tradition, the wife of the village headman assumes his duties for the day, while the wives of local council members assist her in managing neighborhood affairs.
Women also take over the village grocery store and coffeehouse, operating the businesses until the men are allowed to return in the evening.
The tradition is strictly observed. Gendarmerie officers stand guard to prevent men from entering the neighborhood before the end of the women's symbolic rule.
Outside Kozluören, the men spend the day watching traditional Turkish oil wrestling competitions and welcoming visitors arriving for the festivities.
The event combines the women's day tradition with Kozluören's historic oil wrestling festival, which organizers say is being held for the 525th time.
Kestel Mayor Ferhat Erol said the wrestling event had previously been suspended for 16 years before being revived three years ago.
"We are holding the 525th Kozluören Traditional Oil Wrestling event today. It could not be organized for 16 years, but we restarted it three years ago," Erol said.
He highlighted the unusual division of village life during the festival, summing up the day's tradition with the phrase, "Women to the village square, men to the wrestling field."
"We emptied the village and came here. Nearly 460 athletes are here today, including 31 top wrestlers," he said.
Oil wrestling, in which competitors cover their bodies with olive oil and compete while wearing traditional leather trousers known as "kıspet," has deep roots in Turkish culture and remains one of the country's most distinctive traditional sports.
Erol said local authorities aim to expand the Kozluören competition and establish it as one of Türkiye's largest oil wrestling events after the historic competitions in Edirne.
"We continue our efforts to create one of the largest wrestling events after Edirne," he said. "Hopefully, next year we will organize an even better and larger event and promote it to Bursa and Türkiye."
He also thanked visitors, the village headman, the local cooperative and municipal employees involved in organizing the festivities.
For Kozluören's women, however, the festival remains about more than wrestling.
For one day, the village's traditional roles are reversed as women move into positions usually occupied by men, running the local administration, grocery store and coffeehouse while village streets and public spaces become largely female domains.
