Artvin's Kafkasör Festival draws over 100,000 spectators for 45th bullfighting event

The 45th edition of the Kafkasör Kültür, Turizm ve Sanat Festivali was held on the 1,200‑meter‑high Kafkasör Yaylası in Artvin for four days. A total of 157 bulls from Artvin, Rize, Erzurum, Aydın and Muğla competed in eight traditional categories, with prize money amounting to 1.4 million TL and a 200 000 TL award for the winner of the head‑bull category.

Around 105 000 spectators attended the arena, watching the final day’s contests in the "büyük orta", "küçük başaltı", "başaltı" and "baş" categories, where the winning bulls were "Horoz", "Efe", "Kadir Ağa" and "Canpolat" respectively. Organisers performed horn trimming and urine‑based doping tests on all animals before the bouts. Artvin Governor Turan Ergün described the festival as the city’s largest and one of Turkey’s most historic cultural events, noting increased participation this year. Mayor Bilgehan Erdem praised the turnout and the cooperation of bull breeders and owners.

The festival also featured traditional music, dancing and local cuisine, reinforcing its role as a major cultural gathering in northeastern Turkey.