[REVISION HISTORY]

853rd Sheep Crossing Through Water Festival in Denizli

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2026-08-23 18:01 UTC → 2026-08-24 19:13 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The 853rd Sheep Crossing Through Water and Shepherd Festival was held on August 22-23 in the Aşağıseyit neighborhood of Çal, Denizli. Recognized on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, the event commemorates a centuries-old legend involving a Karakoyunlu tribe shepherd and the daughter of an Oğuz bey. During the competition, approximately 63 shepherds guided their flocks across the Büyük Menderes ~~River. The process utilized~~ River using specialized “elci” sheep, which are ~~specialized~~ trained flock ~~leaders that undergo approximately one year~~ leaders. In this year’s race, Orhan Karakoç secured first place with his sheep ‘Mor Fişek’, followed by Zekeriya Karakoç in second and Necip Yatıcı in third. The event was also marked by charitable acts of ~~training~~ solidarity. Second-place winner Zekeriya Karakoç donated his gold prize to ~~lead animals into the water. Participants decorated the elci~~ Erkan Yeşiltaş, a child battling DMD muscular dystrophy. Local official Saffet Oğuz donated a sheep ~~and entered the river~~ to ~~guide~~ the ~~flocks~~ same cause, while other participants provided animal feed to support the ~~opposite bank.~~ medical campaign. While organizers previously noted that regional droughts and livestock diseases presented challenges to the continuity of the practice, ~~local officials, including~~ Çal Mayor Ahmet ~~Hakan,~~ Hakan reported significant participation for this year’s ~~event.~~ event and emphasized ongoing efforts to secure a permanent place on the UNESCO list. The tradition continues to attract thousands of spectators and photographers from across Turkey.

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