Abstract
The shadow theatre in Turkey was most commonly known as ‘Karagöz’. Under the influence of Sufi thought with its references to the real world as mimicry of the world of ideas, Turkish shadow play might resemble Plato's cave. The prologue and the representational style of the play, its former and modern names ‘Hayal’ and ‘Gölge Oyunu’ (‘shadow play’) and the main character's name ‘Karagöz’ (literally, ‘black eyed’) demand an active mode of viewing. Karagöz shows constituted a social activity in which high and low classes took part on an equal basis. The show has long been recognised as one of the original sources of cinema in Turkey. This article aims to comprehend the style and mode of viewing of this traditional pre‐cinematic tool with regard to the Ottoman spectatorship culture.
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