12.02.2024
6 Dakika
Imagine a centuries-old theatrical art in which the curtain is called a shadow-show screen, the actor is imaginary and the two main characters, who amuse themselves with the audience, are real people. We are talking about the famous Turkish shadow show Karagöz and Hacivat. The shadows of the figures, which are made of camel or buffalo leather and painted, are cast onto an illuminated screen. This spectacle, with its unique and romantic terminology, has entertained people for centuries and inspired reflection with its unmistakable universe.
The term "imaginary" for the traditional performer who designs and animates the Karagöz and Hacivat play is perhaps the most apt description of both the play and the master's work. The Karagöz and Hacivat plays, which are passed down orally from generation to generation and leave plenty of room for improvisation, are usually based on the satire of various professions, traditions or people in the context of simple everyday events. The plays are enriched by dozens of minor characters such as Çelebi, Tiryaki, Beberuhi and Tuzsuz Deli Bekir and are made even more dramatic by the varied repertoire of music from different peoples of the Ottoman Empire.
There are various theories about the origins of the Karagöz and Hacivat play, which has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. One theory is that the play may have spread from Egypt to the imperial territories with the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. There are also assumptions that it was brought by Jews from Spain and Portugal, brought from the Java Islands or India to the borders of the empire, passed on by the Chinese to the Mongols and then to the Turks until it reached Anatolia. Regardless of which theory one accepts, the fact remains that Karagöz and Hacivat have been a valued theatrical art for the Turks for centuries.
One of the most famous narratives about the existence of Karagöz and Hacivat takes us back to the time of the founding of the Ottoman Empire, to Bursa, the first capital of the empire. Legend has it that Orhan Gazi wanted to build a magnificent mosque in Bursa. He commissions the architect of the project he admires most to complete the mosque quickly using the best craftsmen and materials in the region. The inspirations for the characters Karagöz and Hacivat are two workers who worked on this construction site. These two comrades, who argue and get into ridiculous situations, cause the construction work to slow down while the other workers gather around them to watch and laugh at them at every opportunity. When the architect investigates why the construction is not progressing as expected, he informs Orhan Gazi of the situation. The furious ruler orders the execution of the two to teach the other workers a lesson. Unfortunately, the two workers, who have spent their lives spreading joy with their natural humor, pay the price with their lives for being natural comedians.
Orhan Gazi, who had not expected such a decision from a just, conscientious and compassionate ruler, begins to feel great remorse for having ordered the execution of Karagöz and Hacivat. A sage named Şeyh Küşteri, recognizing the Sultan's grief, unties his turban, lights a candle behind him, turning him into an imaginary screen, and uses their shoes as the first Karagöz and Hacivat figures to imitate the banter between the two. In a way, the name of Şeyh Küşteri, which revives these two mischievous companions, is kept alive for centuries by the performers who play the introductory sections of the plays.
"When Şeyh Küşteri dreamed thus,
Our curtain will always be sprinkled with the people of wisdom..."
When you find yourself in Bursa, you can visit the monument and symbolic tombs of Karagöz and Hacivat, and examine the historical equipment used in the play at the Karagöz Museum House. If you want to learn more about the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bursa, including the Orhan Gazi Complex, read our blog post titled "UNESCO Sites in Türkiye: Bursa and Cumalıkızık."
