Ali Nurullah Hasan was a Turkish wrestler. He was known with his nickname as Filiz Nurullah

Pehlivan Pehlivan or Pahlevan derives from Iranian language word meaning ''noble'', ''wrestler'', ''hero'' or ''champion'' and it is a loan word in many Asiatic languages as well as middle eastern languages including Turkish surname originally given to wres ...

to the Turkish public whereas he used the alias Hassan Nurullah for his

professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...

career in

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...

. He stood 6'6" (200½ cm) tall and weighed .

Early life

Nurullah was born in 1867 or 1870 in Bıyıklı village near

Şumnu Shumen (, also romanized as ''Shoumen'' or ''Šumen'', ) is the tenth-largest city in Bulgaria and the administrative and economic capital of Shumen Province. Etymology The city was first mentioned as ''Šimeonis'' in 1153 by the Arab trave ...

, Danube Vilayet in the territory of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

. At eleven years of age, Nurullah was trained in

oil wrestling Oil wrestling (), also called Turkish oil wrestling, is the national sport of Turkey. Oil wrestling includes oil and traditional dress, and its rules are comparable to karakucak. In Assyria, ancient Egypt, and Babylonia, oil wrestling was perf ...

Yusuf İsmail Yusuf İsmail (1857 – July 4, 1898), also known as Youssouf Ishmaelo, was a Turkish professional wrestler who competed in Europe and the United States as Yusuf Ismail the Terrible Turk during the 1890s. During his lifetime, native Turks knew h ...

.Yağlı Güreşin Ünlü Pehlivanları X - Filiz Nurullah
Erhan Hüseyin Ali, ''Öğretmenin Sesi''

Career

In 1894, Yusuf İsmail accompanied him and Kara Osman of

Plovdiv Plovdiv (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, second-largest city in Bulgaria, 144 km (93 miles) southeast of the capital Sofia. It had a population of 490,983 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is a cultural hub ...

on their journey to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, organised by

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

former wrestler and promoter Joseph Doublier. Nurullah's impressive physique (standing tall and weighing 159 kg (350 lbs), although exaggerated figures have also existed) was then noted as a tackle for finding eager opponents.Filiz Nurullah
/ref> Nevertheless, Nurullah trained in

Greco-Roman wrestling Greco-Roman (American English), Graeco-Roman (British English), or classic wrestling (Euro-English) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been i ...

and started competing at

Folies Bergère 150px, Stanisław Julian Ignacy Ostroróg">Walery, 1927 The Folies Bergère () is a cabaret music hall in Paris, France. Located at 32 Rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement, the Folies Bergère was built as an opera house by the arc ...

by 1895. Nurullah is renowned for his long rivalries with two formidable exponents of Greco-Roman wrestling: Paul Pons and Kara Ahmet. Nurullah quit wrestling in 1911 and died a year later in Istanbul.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nurullah Hasan 19th-century births 1912 deaths Year of birth uncertain People from Shumen Province 19th-century professional wrestlers 20th-century male professional wrestlers Sportspeople from the Ottoman Empire