The centuries-old Karagöz shadow play, inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, will be preserved and passed on to future generations through a newly established Karagöz Laboratory in Bursa.
The laboratory has been created by the Karagöz and Puppet Plays Application and Research Center (KARAKUM) at Bursa Uludağ University. Visitors will be able to watch traditional Karagöz and Hacivat performances as well as explore the historical development of the shadow play through a dedicated collection.
Scheduled to open to the public in January 2026, the laboratory will also host workshops on shadow figure and puppet making and performance techniques, designed for participants of all ages.
KARAKUM Director Associate Professor İbrahim Öztahtalı said the center, founded in March 2020, has carried out a number of significant projects aimed at safeguarding the Karagöz tradition.
“Karagöz is no longer only a cultural heritage of Bursa or Türkiye but a shared legacy of humanity,” Öztahtalı said, noting that the laboratory was designed as a space where Karagöz can be studied academically and experienced by the public.
He added that the idea for the laboratory was developed in collaboration with shadow play performer Nevzat Çiftçi in order to keep the tradition alive and make it accessible to wider audiences.
Çiftçi said the goal of the project is to move beyond passive viewing by allowing visitors to learn how the figures are made and how performances are staged. The laboratory houses more than 100 shadow figures and puppets, offering insight into the history of the Karagöz tradition.
The space also includes dedicated areas for children, where they can share their impressions after performances and reenact scenes using small stages. In addition to performances and exhibitions, the laboratory will host hands-on workshops for those interested in learning figure and puppet making.
