Karagoz

Also known as shadow theatre

Karagöz is a Turkish shadow theatre in which flat, jointed figures are held against a lit cloth sheet by one hidden performer who gives every character a voice. Its two friends, the quick-witted Karagöz and the well-spoken Hacivat, argue their way through comic street tales.

Play the preview About this tradition

Karagoz: photograph by Daderot — Photo: Daderot, CC0, source on Wikimedia Commons

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How to play

Watch the figures argue and act in front of the lamp-lit cloth.
Tap a choice, or press its number, to decide what Karagöz and Hacivat do next.
When the widow asks her puzzle, pick the answer you think is right.
Wit and goodwill grow as you choose well; your ending gives one to three stars.

Rules at a glance

The tale branches several ways and has three possible endings.
Fair, kind and clever choices earn wisdom points; shouting and shortcuts earn none.
Accusing the seller loudly in public cannot be undone and costs the best ending.
The puzzle is answered once; a wrong answer costs a little wit.
Three stars need wit and goodwill and no public accusation.

About the tradition

Karagöz has been performed in Turkish towns for centuries, in coffee houses and at festive evenings, by a single puppet master with a few helpers. The figures were cut from thin treated hide and lit from behind by an oil lamp. This is an original market tale in the spirit of the street comedy.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Classical Worlds (about 1000 BCE to 500 CE), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of Mesopotamia, Levant and Arabia.

Credits

Tale and artwork: World Heritage Games (original)
Photo: Daderot, CC0, source on Wikimedia Commons
Text: CC BY-SA 4.0, World Heritage Games.

Sources

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Karagoz_transformed_into_a_frog,_Karag

Get the app

Karagoz is one of 10 stories and theatre games in the Story & Theatre of the World app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Submitted to the App Store and Google Play; in review. Store links appear here the day it goes live. One app, many traditions, no account needed.

See all 10 stories and theatre games in the app

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