Karagöz and Hacivat Shadow Play
Bursa Karagöz Museum
Bursa, Turkey
Shadow plays were popular among Arab and Ottoman audiences. The performances retold epics from popular folk literature.
Portrait of Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq
19th century
“A`lam fi Zakirat Lubnan”
Ba`abda, Lebanon
Ahmad Faris al-Shidyaq (1804‒87) was born to a Maronite family in Lebanon. During the early part of his career, collaborating with Dr Samuel Lee to translate the Bible into Arabic, he worked in Egypt, Malta and London. In 1855, al-Shidyaq moved to Tunis to become editor of Al-Rai’d al-Tunisi, the country’s national newspaper. He then left to go to Istanbul to take up a post as corrector of the Government Press, where he also launched his weekly Arabic-language magazine Al-Jawa’ib.
Dolmabahçe Palace Theatre under construction
1857
Ömer M. Koç Collection
Istanbul, Turkey
“Formal” theatre, whether drama, ballet or musical, was another European-inspired importation. Created for the elite and patronised by them, theatres were often created as annexes to palatial complexes in Ottoman lands, such as those established at Yıldız and Dolmabahçe for exclusive patrons.
Hegira 1272 / AD 1856
Dolmabahçe, İstanbul, Turkey
“Formal” theatre, whether drama, ballet or musical, was another European-inspired importation. Created for the elite and patronised by them, theatres were often created as annexes to palatial complexes in Ottoman lands, such as those established at Yıldız and Dolmabahçe for exclusive patrons.
1889
Istanbul, Turkey
“Formal” theatre, whether drama, ballet or musical, was another European-inspired importation. Created for the elite and patronised by them, theatres were often created as annexes to palatial complexes in Ottoman lands, such as those established at Yıldız and Dolmabahçe for exclusive patrons.
Early 20th century
Jordan Museum for Costumes and Jewellery, Department of Antiquities
Amman, Jordan
Brass head of a flagpole used in religious processions associated with the Nabi Musa Festival.
Early 20th century
Jordan Museum for Costumes and Jewellery, Department of Antiquities
Amman, Jordan
The head of a brass standard in the form of a crescent, under which people rallied during religious festivities.
Early 20th century
Jordan Museum for Costumes and Jewellery, Department of Antiquities
Amman, Jordan
Brass head of flagpole used in religious processions associated with the Nabi Musa Festival.
Costume for Cleopatra in the Ballets Russes production of Cléopâtre, 1918
1918
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Los Angeles, United States of America
Ballets Russes, also known as the Russian Ballet, was an itinerant company that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and America. The company’s many productions included Cleopatra and Boris Godunov, among many other tales from Russian and international folklore.