![]() ![]() They have a wonderful selection of puppets and entertaining videoed performances to watch. If you’d like to know more about the art and history Turkish shadow puppetry, don’t miss the Karagöz My Dear exhibition at the Yapi Kredi Gallery in Galatasary Square on Istiklal Street. All the different voices, accents and dialects of the characters are created by the one artist working in the shadows. This in combination with regional accents and dialects, misunderstandings and exaggerations are the principal comedic elements. The characters might obliquely criticise the ruling powers, highlighting their failures through clever wordplay. Puppets appeared in the latest fashions (think Western-style drop waisted dresses and brimmed hats rather than fez in the 1920s) and mythical beast such as the shamaran, witches and fairies interfered in worldly concerns. Generally classed as comedy, Karagoz has always reflected the society, culture and politics of the day. The cast of characters can include Tuzsuz Çelebi, a handsome and well-to-do youth who smooth talks the ladies, Matiz the drunkard, Arnavut the Albanian, Yahudi a Jew, Çerkez a Circassian, Kürt a Kurd, Tiryaki an opium addict who is always asleep when needed and Zenne, female characters who are either young and man-eaters, or older busybodies. ![]() The fasıl, the third part, introduces more characters while the bitiş, the finale, mainly focuses on conversation and arguments between Karagoz and Hacivat. The second part, the muhavere, mainly consists of rapid dialogue and witty banter between the characters allowing the plot to develop. The plot is introduced in the first act called the mukaddime and Karagoz and Hacivat will invariably end up in a fight. ![]() The version still seen today in Karagoz performances, often during Ramazan, consists of four parts. Diverse cultural, religious and symbolic influences meant there were numerous styles and types of puppets in play, most of which were known in Turkey at one time or another. This is a shadow play based on the movements of representations of people, animals or objects called tasvir made of water buffalo or camel skin with the help. Scholars believe it originated in the Far East and then travelled westwards, eventually reaching the Mediterranean and surrounding areas. Shadow puppetry, moving flat figures in the space between a source of light and a translucent screen, has been performed all over the world for hundreds of years. The character of Karaghiozi actually comes from the Turkish Karagoz who was a handsome and intelligent leading man type charactor in the shadow puppets of the Ottomans. However Karagoz and Hacivat are puppets, and are the main players in shadow theatre performances known as Karagoz (this word means black eyes in Turkish so they do have that in common with Burak Özçivit and other well-known Turkish actors). The Greeks with their own local traditions were trying to do things in a way that even though seemed superficial to them were essential to progress with the rest of the world. If you’re an aficionado of Turkish miniseries I know you’re imaging handsome moustachioed men with dark flashing eyes strutting their stuff on screen. Once upon a time, before the advent of television and cinema, Karagoz and Hacivat were superstars of the Turkish entertainment industry. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |