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The Sinjska alka is an equestrian competition held in the Croatian town of
Sinj every first Sunday in August since 1717. It commemorates a
Croatian-Venetian victory over Ottomans on August 14, 1715 in which the local
Christian population of around 700 Croats in cooperation with a smaller number
of Venetians managed to defend Sinj against 60,000 Ottoman soldiers led by
Mehmed-paša Ćelić. The people of Sinj believe that the Lady of Sinj miraculously drove
away Ottomans, thus helping them to defend their town. On the national holiday
of the Assumption of Mary on August 15, in honor of Lady of
Sinj, a procession is organised, during which horsemen in full regalia parade a painting of Our Lady of Sinj throughout the town
streets.
The Alka itself is
an equestrian competition in which various horsemen riding at full gallop aim
their lances at a hanging metal ring (alka), and are awarded points according
to which sector of the ring they are able to pierce. In 2010, the Alka was
inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists
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