CROATIAN INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE - THE ALKA OF SINJ (SINJSKA ALKA)

The Alka of Sinj is a chivalric game symbolically connected with the liberation of Sinj – a small town in the hinterland of Split and in the surrounding area known as Sinjska Krajina - from Turkish rule in 1715. Alka is a name for the tournament and the target. The alkars (competitors) on horses, riding in gallop must hit the target (alka) – a ring of wrought iron hanging above the racetrack, with a kind of spear. Alka is composed of two concentric circles interconnected so that they divide the outer ring space in three parts; the space one hits brings different scores. All competitors have two tries while the third race is reserved only for the best. In the competition there are minimum eleven and maximum seventeen alkars. The organiser of the activities and in charge for passing down the alka tradition is the Chivalric Society of the Alka of Sinj. The alkars are differentiated by function and honour which determines also their place in the festive procession of alkars which takes the precisely determined route to arrive to the racetrack: the commander called duke (vojvoda), competitors led by the commander called alaj-čauš, alkar- squires headed by harambaša, the escort composed of alkars who do not participate in the competition but have honour distinctions of barjaktar (the bearer of the flag), duke's assistant, squire etc. Alkars wear old and richly decorated clothing differentiated by colours and decoration and have ancient weapons; it is considered that such kind of clothing was worn by members of higher class. Alkar squires wear clothes as was typical for the peasants from Cetina Region, complemented with ancient weapons. Alka takes place every year on Sunday in the first third of August. However, the preparation of alkars and their families and the people from the whole Cetina Region start months earlier. They are preceded by competitions aimed to local community: two days before the main competition – bara and a day before – čoja. Alka is an event aimed primarily at guests and friends and is connected with showing hospitality and preparation and eating of traditional dishes. A long tradition of competitions and the infiltration of the values of alka in everyday life resulted some decades ago in the establishment of a new tradition - alka competitions for children. Because of its great importance for the local and national community the Alka of Sinj was included into the UNESCO- Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. Dr. sc. Tihana Petrović Leš