Ottoman-style Horseback Archery and Cirit

The nomadic Turks, like most Central Asian communities, were renowned for their skills on Horseback as well as their archery. It is said that the Turkish bow was the most feared weapon before the invention of gunpowder. This trip combines Ottoman-style Horseback Archery lessons together with a trip to Eastern Turkey to witness cirit (c in Turkish is pronounced as you would a ‘j’ in English), a game on horseback that combines acrobatics and stick throwing, quite erroneously described as being a form of ‘extreme polo’.

A very popular spectator sport during Ottoman times, it claimed more than its fair share
of casualties, leading Mahmud II to briefly ban it after the dissolution of the janissaries.

Guests are able to try their hand at horseback archery during their stay in Istanbul. The time in Istanbul ranges from a minimum of a week to about two weeks, dependent on the riding abilities of the clients, followed by a trip to Eastern Turkey.

In modern times, players dress as Sipahis( Ottoman horsemen) while playing cirit to keep up with the tradition. In Istanbul, once the guest is competent enough for mounted archery, there is the option of doing this in traditional costume. The trip can be customized to include one on one time with one of the biggest private collectors of Ottoman art in his yalı (house by the Bosphorus) or a tour of the Princes Islands led by an architect which includes a visit into the private gardens of prominent
Turkish personalities. The trip starts from USD 8200 for a 14 day trip for one horseback archery student and an accompanying traveler.

Photo Credit: Foto Haluk Guplinar

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