Shadow
puppets in Turkey were in use from at least the 14th century. They were widely
performed between the 17th and 19th centuries, particularly during the month
of Ramadan. The original characters are said to have been based on two real
men from the early 14th century, who amused their fellow-workers on a mosque
with their humorous repartee. Having been executed for delaying the building
work, they were so badly missed that a man named Seyh Kusteri created images
of them from camel hide and used them to give puppet shows.
Turkish shadow puppets are made from camel or buffalo hide, which is scraped until it is semi-transparent, and then painted. The two central characters in all plays are Karagöz and Hacivat. However, there are many other players who appear, each with well-defined characters already known to the audience. Unlike the Wayang Purwa, the stories focus on the comic, normally involving an argument and fight between the uneducated Karagöz and his more gentile friend Hacivat. Despite Hacivat's learning, it is always Karagöz who triumphs at the end of the show. The puppets are manipulated by a single puppeteer, known as a Karagozcu, Hayali or Hayalbaz. Songs are provided by a second member of the team, known as the yardak. The advent of the cinema and television drastically reduced the number of shadow plays performed, but they are still a popular entertainment for children.
You can find out more about Turkish shadow puppets at Karagoz and at Karagoz-Hacivad.
Click on to the next page to have a look at some Chinese shadow puppets.
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