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Community Corner

Hacivat & Karagoz Shadow Play

On Sunday, March 30th at 2pm, the Turkish Cultural Center Westchester is organizing an event that will feature a Karagöz & Hacivat Shadow Play. The event will take place at the White Plains Public Library.

Hacivat & Karagoz is a Turkish shadow play that takes its name from its main character Karagöz.  According to a legend, Hacivat & Karagoz were working as construction workers in a mosque in Bursa.  Although their satiric jokes entertained other workers, it also delayed the building of the mosque by their constant joking together.  As a result it made the sultan very angry and they were fired from their jobs.  The construction of the mosque was completed without them, but their comrades did not forget them and kept their jokes alive, telling them over and over.  In time, the adventures of Karagoz and Hacivat gained a new dimension and the traditional Turkish shadow puppet theatre was born.

Karagoz & Hacivat was the most enjoyed entertainment of the Ottoman period and was widely performed for the public and in private houses between the 17th and 19th centuries, especially during Ramadan, and at feasts, festivals,  coffee houses and even in gardens.

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It is a free event and everyone is invited!


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