Sinjska alka

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The Sinjska alka (Croatian pronunciation: [sîːɲskaː âːlka]) is an equestrian competition held in the Croatian town of Sinj. It commemorates a Croatian–Venetian victory in the Ottoman–Venetian war in the night of 14 August 1715, in which around 700 professional Venetian soldiers and 100 locals defended Sinj against an Ottoman army led by Mehmed-paša Ćelić of at least 40,000. Because of this victory, the Venetians retained control over Sinj and integrated it into the Venetian Dalmatia in accordance to the terms of the Treaty of Passarowitz signed in 1718. The people of Sinj believed 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 (Velika Gospa) on 15 August in honor of Lady of Sinj, a procession is organised, during which horsemen in full regalia (Alkari) 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.