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 The Karagoz Theater was a thriving form of shadow puppetry during the 17th-19th century in the Ottoman Empire. The puppets were made from the skin of camels or cows and averaged 35-40 centimeters tall. They are controlled by one master puppeteer who uses rods to hold the puppets to the screen. This form of puppetry can take years to master and requires precision as the rods seen in the lower left are difficult to control the puppets. Most shows use the two characters seen in the top right photo. According to legend, they were jokers who did not complete their work on an important construction site, causing delays. After being dismissed, the work was completed but the characters continued to joke, which sparked the puppetry. The drum seen in the bottom left photo, is most likely being held by the apprentice. He is training to one day be the master puppeteer. His role is tot hand puppets to the puppeteer and, if needed help set up. I think it is interesting that the only other people needed to successfully perform this type of theater are singers. However, the singers do not voice the puppets, as that also falls under the scope of the master puppeteer. These shows occur in four main sections, an introduction which sets the stage. Secondly is short dialogue between Karagoz and Hacivat that move the plot forward. Following this dialogue, is the main plot, which is where the majority of the performance will occur. Finally the play concludes and the losses ends are tied up. I found this form of theater to be interesting because usually when we think of shadow puppetry, we imagine poorly defined shaped behind a sheet with no definition and no color. These puppets and their tradition have defied this idea for centuries and shown there is always more than one method to perform in the theatrical realm. karagoz theater video Map of the span of the Ottoman Empire during the height of KaragozThearer

A dedpiction of the two main characters seen in all Karagoz performances: Karagoz and Hacivat Behind the scenes at how the master puppeteer and the assistant control the puppets and add sound to create a more realistic environment.

A look at the different characters that might appear during the main plot portion of the performance.