Karagöz, or shadow theater, has entertained people for roughly 700 hundred years. In fact, in 2009, UNESCO saw the importance of Karagöz and listed it as an essential part of Turkey’s cultural heritage. But what is Karagöz, and why did the middle class people of the Ottoman Empire’s love it so much?
Shadow theater, or shadow play, is a show that takes place against a plain backdrop where puppets are used to create shadows against the backdrop and tell a story. This form of theater has been popular around the world for hundreds of years and has been prevalent in places like Persia, Bali, China, France, Egypt, and Greece. But shadow theater took on an even greater legacy during the Ottoman rule, making it an important part of Turkish culture.
Historians are unsure of the first time Karagöz was performed in the Ottoman Empire and remains a topic of great interest for many scholars. The plays, referred to as Karagöz in Turkey, are named after the lead character of many Turkish shadow plays.
The performance usually begins with an introduction by a character
who sets the scene of the play and lets the audience know of some of
the major themes. Next, the main character, Karagöz, and his friend Hacivat appear on stage and the performance begins.
Turkish shadow plays
are typically performed by a single person who plays the role of all characters within the play. Performers can play up to twenty different characters and be able to sing, play musical instruments, and create dialogue on the spot to entertain the audience—all this while also moving the puppets! In fact, many Karagöz performers also design their own puppets, making them some of the most talented performers in the arts.
The middle class of Ottoman society took a particular interest in Karagöz performances because of the topics many of the performances covered. The performers had a great amount of freedom of speech, meaning they could talk about nearly anything without getting into trouble. Karagöz performances would sometimes include a critique of an important political figure or cover topics that were seen as unfit to discuss in front of women and children. Because of the freedom of the performers, Karagöz plays were a wildly popular form of entertainment.
Shadow theater remains an important part of many cultures today, though Karagöz remains of high importance especially to Turkish culture. Many Karagöz masters continue performing to this day and work hard to keep this tradition alive by mastering the art of puppet-making and bringing the characters of Karagöz and Hacivat to people around the world.