By blending curiosity with creativity, Cengiz Samsun has spent the past 25 years bringing the traditional Turkish shadow play Karagöz and Hacivat to life. He adapts the centuries-old performance for contemporary audiences while preserving its artisanal roots.
Samsun, 48, moved from Hatay to Istanbul in 1997 to pursue acting. He began his career at the Erkan Yücel Public Theater and, that same year, developed an interest in puppetry and Karagöz and Hacivat, a cornerstone of traditional Turkish theater.
After performing onstage in numerous private theaters, Samsun learned the art of shadow play through an apprentice-style mentorship with master puppeteer Ahmet Karakman.
Today, he works out of his workshop in Beyoğlu, producing handmade puppets in various styles while performing Karagöz-Hacivat shows. Samsun writes his own scripts, creates the puppets and adapts the stories to modern language, ensuring that the tradition continues for new generations.
He also teaches shadow play and puppetry as a guest instructor at universities and other institutions. In 2012, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism recognized him as a “Carrier of Intangible Cultural Heritage.”
Samsun has showcased his work at festivals both domestically and internationally. His original productions include "Karagöz Dinozor Diyarında" ("Karagöz in the Land of Dinosaurs"), "Karagöz'ün Organları" ("Karagöz’ Organs") "Karagöz'ün Deniz Rüyası" ("Karagöz and the Dream of the Sea") and "Musa Ağacı."
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Samsun said he fell in love with shadow theater and eventually devoted himself entirely to it.
“Karagöz and Hacivat is a craft-based shadow art. After a while, it became my primary focus and theater became secondary,” he said. “It’s a holistic art form. You create, design, draw and perform the music yourself. Unlike acting, where applause motivates you, here everything is integrated. That’s what drew me in.”
Samsun noted that specialized art forms, particularly those requiring craftsmanship, naturally have few practitioners. “Very few people both produce and perform, making it a rare profession.”
Samsun hopes Karagöz is eventually taught as a dedicated program in fine arts faculties. He said guest lectures at universities are not enough to preserve and pass on the tradition.
He also highlighted growing public interest in Karagöz-Hacivat shows. “Audience engagement is higher now than it was 15 years ago. There’s a cultural search, a longing for tradition. Old and local values are increasingly embraced, and accessibility helps people understand their worth. UNESCO’s inclusion of Karagöz in the Intangible Cultural Heritage list has also sparked global interest.”
Samsun explained that Karagöz-Hacivat performances evolve with society. “The characters, costumes, language, humor and stories have all changed over time. To be a good master, you must understand these changes and present them in today’s language. You can’t translate 300-year-old Turkish humor directly. A skilled artist absorbs the past while addressing contemporary issues to create meaningful humor.”
Samsun said he is pleased with renewed interest in Karagöz-Hacivat performances during Ramadan. Historically, the shadow play was the Ottoman Empire’s most popular form of theater, entertaining people late into the night.
“In the Ottoman era, people watched Karagöz-Hacivat until the pre-dawn meal during Ramadan,” he said. “Over time, interest in other traditional forms, like orta oyunu and meddaha, declined. Today, some mistakenly see Karagöz as only children’s entertainment or a Ramadan tradition. That’s not true. It’s a theater for all ages, performed year-round, as it has been for centuries.”
