Before television, there was shadow theatre
It was extremely popular during Ottoman times and the plays would draw hundreds of people, who would gather to watch the puppets reflected on a curtain.
Shadow theatre was very popular during the days of the Ottoman Empire
Before television, there many different types of entertainment. And before radio it was theatre. In the times of the Ottoman Empire shadow theatre was extremely popular and would draw large crowds of hundreds of people.
The plays were widely performed at coffee shops and in gardens and they were extremely popular during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Today there are only about 50 artists practising this art form.
Many of the stories centre around two central characters, Karagöz and Hacivat - the former, an unprincipled peasant and the latter, his fussy, educated companion.
TRT World's Elif Bereketi reports.
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