A Ramadan in Uskudar

Acrylic, watercolor & gold on passepartout cardboard, 30 cm (diameter), Turkish Ministry of Culture, National Library Collection

Turkish shadow puppet performances used to be an integral part of entertainment during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. People waited impatiently for the night to come because every single night during Ramadan’s 30-day period a different shadow play was staged. Each play began with the words “Oh dear Lord, give me some amusement!” Then colorful dreams would come alive on the curtain hung between two poles that here show the beloved heroes, Karagoz and Hacivat. 

Curator’s Note: According to legend, Karagoz and Hacivat were laborers on a 14th-century mosque in Bursa, Turkey. Popular with fellow workers, they were executed for fear they might incite rebellion. Their exploits became the stuff of oral tradition, and have been immortalized in Turkish shadow plays. Uskudar (also known as Scutari) is a city in Asian Istanbul. 

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