On a scorchingly hot summer day of the first Sunday in August, there is only one topic of all the conversations in the town of Sinj in the Dalmatian mainland. The Alka. Honouring the epic struggle against Turkish conquerors 300 years ago, the knights of today bet their honour and all their skill on one task – hitting the centre of a ring made of forged iron with their lance. When the tournament begins, silence settles over the audience: all attention is drawn to the knight, the stallion and the ring. In less than thirteen seconds, the knight has to face his destiny. He charges, aims and hits the centre; a firing of a cannon is heard, and the celebration starts. The symbolic battle is won, again.
