It’s not often that events are held for over 300 years in a row, but lucky for us we have the Sinjska Alka to carry the tradition. An event that has been held every first Sunday in August since 1717, the 301st Sinjska Alka begins today, August 7 at 16.30h.
The Sinjska Alka is a chivalric tournament that has taken place annually since the 18th century in the inland Dalmatian town of Sinj. The tournament began as a commemoration for the victory over the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century. The competition is comprised of knights who ride horses at full gallop along a main street, aiming lances at an iron ring hanging on a rope. The name of the tournament comes from this ring, or “alka”, a word of Turkish origin that reflects the historical co-existence and cultural exchange between two different civilizations.
Image by unesco.org
The tournament rules, which date back to 1833, promote ethics and fair play while stressing the importance of participation in community life. Participants must be members of local families of Sinj and the Cetinska krajina region.
The whole community helps to make, conserve, restore and reconstruct weapons, clothes and accessories to support the continuation of the tradition. The costumes worn by the alkar men are the same that were worn by the warriors in the 18th century.
The Sinjska Alka is the only remaining example of the medieval knightly competitions that were regularly held in the Croatian coastal towns until the 19th century. In 2010, the Alka was inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
