Karagöz and Hacivat: what is it?
It's a Turkish Shadow Puppet Theater.
Karagöz (literally Blackeye in Turkish) and Hacivat (meaning "İvaz the Pilgrim") are the lead characters of the traditional Turkish shadow play, popularized during the Ottoman period and then spread to modern Turkey, Greece, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Georgia.
In the Turkish version, Karagöz represents the illiterate but straightforward public, whereas Hacivat belongs to the educated class, speaking Ottoman Turkish and using a poetical and literary language.
The subjects of Karagöz plays are funny elements with double meanings, exaggerations, verbal plays, and imitating accents. There is always satire and irony.
Some facts about Karagöz and Hacivat according to rumors:
-Karagöz was a blacksmith and Hacivat was a mason during the Grand Mosque construction. They got killed because the construction was slow and they accused because of it.
-It is not known exactly whether Hacivat and Karagöz actually lived, and if so, where and what they were in. What is narrated is based on rumors, because even if they actually lived, they were generally not important enough to be included in the history books in the period mentioned.
How Karagöz and Hacivat shadow play starts:
-In every games introduction Hacivat sings a semai (different at each performance), recites a prayer, and indicates that he is looking for his friend Karagöz, whom he beckons to the scene with a speech that always ends "Yar bana bir eğlence" ("Oh, for some amusement").
If you wish "some amusement" join us!
The play will be online, in Turkish with English subtitles. Laugh guaranteed!
07 May 2021 Friday 21:00
07 May 2021 Friday 23:00
Online Event - Erasmus Life İstanbul
Erasmus Life İstanbul