Turkiye traditional wooden car race in the northern Turkiye

The traditional wooden car race took place as part of the 15th International Tulum and Folk Dance Festival in the northern province of Rize, Türkiye.

The race brought together 25 competitors representing 13 different countries. Racers competed along a 200-meter track using traditional handmade, engine-free wooden vehicles. Rize’s Black Sea region has a long-standing tradition of crafting and racing wooden gravity cars, which originated in the early 1900s. The event kicked off the broader cultural festival, blending local Black Sea heritage, traditional tulum (bagpipe) music, and international folk dance teams in a friendly competition.