500-year-old carnival comes back to town
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Vercihan Ziflioğlu
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 21, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - A 500-year-old forgotten carnival, marking three days of drinking, dancing and good cheer, has been resurrected and may return to Şişli.
The days before the Christian holy day Ash Wednesday used to be celebrated widely in Istanbul. In anticipation of the 40-day fast before Easter, crowds dressed in colorful costumes and masks used to come together for days of festivities where drinks were downed like water.
Eating meat, drinking alcohol, organizing weddings and participating in festivities are forbidden from Ash Wednesday to Easter as symbolism of purification from earthly desires.
Istanbul’s Şişli district, Tatavla by its Greek name, used to be the epicenter of the carnivals. The Tatavla festivities were so famous that considerable crowds from the most remote locations of Istanbul attended. The tables of the taverns used to be filled with crowds all day long. This carnival, known as the "Tatavla Carnival," was celebrated for 500 years in the big square in front of the historic Hagia Dimitri Church in the Kurtuluş neighborhood in Şişli. Hüseyin Irmak, a Kurtuluş-born researcher, said he is determined to revitalize the carnival and explained his plans to rejuvenate the Tatavla Carnival and its history to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. "We are in communication with the old foundations that moved to Greece. Revitalizing Tatavla Carnival is our greatest desire. We will also meet with representatives of the Culture Ministry for this project. We wish to refresh the public’s memory."
Although the Tatavla Carnival has not been revitalized yet, Irmak intends to organize a carnival celebration every year at the historical Despina tavern on Açıkyol Street in Kurtuluş-Son Durak. The March 2 celebration is open to anyone who wants to experience the excitement.
The date differs from other places in the world because the Greek Orthodox calendar celebrates Easter a week later.
Mihail Vasiladis, the editor in chief of daily Apoyevmatini, an Istanbul newspaper that publishes in Greek, said, "It is true that the carnival ended in the '40s. The justification behind it was that people wearing masks led to rumors that the masks were being used to shied identities while committing murder and thievery. The Tatavla Carnival is one celebrated by the lowest class of society and was attended by many prostitutes in revealing dress. They used to come to Tatavla on horses from the old Abanoz Street and through Dolapdere and Akarca. Greek families covered their windows while those women passed by. The real carnival celebrations were held inside homes. Turkish ministers attended these celebrations in rich people’s houses with their wives. It is important because of that. I guess a lot of prostitutes will be needed to revitalize this festival. I too wanted to revitalize the Tatavla Carnival but my thoughts were much different. I do not believe it would mean much to revitalize a carnival with such a bad reputation.
The Tatavla neighborhood is an old Greek village. Its name means "Horse stable." Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha, Kaptan Pasha or Kaptan-ı Derya, variations on the title of the chief commander of the Ottoman Navy, resettled Greek prisoners of war in this village, said researcher Irmak. "No other ethnic minorities except Greeks were allowed to settle in Tatavla. Greek prisoners were encouraged to marry Greek girls," he said. Irmak said the Greeks started to build a lifestyle of their own in Tatavla after the 1500s and that was reflected in the festivities. One of those festivities was the Tatavla Carnival, known as "Baklahorani" or "Aporkriya" in Greek.
Irmak said the carnival was celebrated until the 1940s and other Istanbul Christian communities, consuls, ambassadors and the Muslim community attended the festivities alongside the Greeks. Gathering points were determined in Taksim, Pangaltı, Tarlabaşı and Yenişehir to attend the carnival in Tatavla, which lasted three days and three nights, Irmak said. Irmak also said the festivities were similar to a street carnival where men and women drank alcohol and sang songs on the street together. Irmak said the carnival was extremely modern for the Ottoman society of the time. "Men dressed up as women, women wore low-cut dresses. Everybody had fun together without considering loyalties."
A sad farewell to Tatavla Carnival
The carnival was celebrated for the last time in 1943. Irmak said information on the last celebration was printed in Apoyevmatni. "We understand from the article that the mood was sad during the last carnival. A group of 20 people came together for the last time and a 500-year-old carnival ended," he said.
For those interested in more details, contact Ercan Tekin at 0212 247 33 57.
Eating meat, drinking alcohol, organizing weddings and participating in festivities are forbidden from Ash Wednesday to Easter as symbolism of purification from earthly desires.
Istanbul’s Şişli district, Tatavla by its Greek name, used to be the epicenter of the carnivals. The Tatavla festivities were so famous that considerable crowds from the most remote locations of Istanbul attended. The tables of the taverns used to be filled with crowds all day long. This carnival, known as the "Tatavla Carnival," was celebrated for 500 years in the big square in front of the historic Hagia Dimitri Church in the Kurtuluş neighborhood in Şişli. Hüseyin Irmak, a Kurtuluş-born researcher, said he is determined to revitalize the carnival and explained his plans to rejuvenate the Tatavla Carnival and its history to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. "We are in communication with the old foundations that moved to Greece. Revitalizing Tatavla Carnival is our greatest desire. We will also meet with representatives of the Culture Ministry for this project. We wish to refresh the public’s memory."
Although the Tatavla Carnival has not been revitalized yet, Irmak intends to organize a carnival celebration every year at the historical Despina tavern on Açıkyol Street in Kurtuluş-Son Durak. The March 2 celebration is open to anyone who wants to experience the excitement.
The date differs from other places in the world because the Greek Orthodox calendar celebrates Easter a week later.
Mihail Vasiladis, the editor in chief of daily Apoyevmatini, an Istanbul newspaper that publishes in Greek, said, "It is true that the carnival ended in the '40s. The justification behind it was that people wearing masks led to rumors that the masks were being used to shied identities while committing murder and thievery. The Tatavla Carnival is one celebrated by the lowest class of society and was attended by many prostitutes in revealing dress. They used to come to Tatavla on horses from the old Abanoz Street and through Dolapdere and Akarca. Greek families covered their windows while those women passed by. The real carnival celebrations were held inside homes. Turkish ministers attended these celebrations in rich people’s houses with their wives. It is important because of that. I guess a lot of prostitutes will be needed to revitalize this festival. I too wanted to revitalize the Tatavla Carnival but my thoughts were much different. I do not believe it would mean much to revitalize a carnival with such a bad reputation.
The Tatavla neighborhood is an old Greek village. Its name means "Horse stable." Barbaros Hayrettin Pasha, Kaptan Pasha or Kaptan-ı Derya, variations on the title of the chief commander of the Ottoman Navy, resettled Greek prisoners of war in this village, said researcher Irmak. "No other ethnic minorities except Greeks were allowed to settle in Tatavla. Greek prisoners were encouraged to marry Greek girls," he said. Irmak said the Greeks started to build a lifestyle of their own in Tatavla after the 1500s and that was reflected in the festivities. One of those festivities was the Tatavla Carnival, known as "Baklahorani" or "Aporkriya" in Greek.
Irmak said the carnival was celebrated until the 1940s and other Istanbul Christian communities, consuls, ambassadors and the Muslim community attended the festivities alongside the Greeks. Gathering points were determined in Taksim, Pangaltı, Tarlabaşı and Yenişehir to attend the carnival in Tatavla, which lasted three days and three nights, Irmak said. Irmak also said the festivities were similar to a street carnival where men and women drank alcohol and sang songs on the street together. Irmak said the carnival was extremely modern for the Ottoman society of the time. "Men dressed up as women, women wore low-cut dresses. Everybody had fun together without considering loyalties."
A sad farewell to Tatavla Carnival
The carnival was celebrated for the last time in 1943. Irmak said information on the last celebration was printed in Apoyevmatni. "We understand from the article that the mood was sad during the last carnival. A group of 20 people came together for the last time and a 500-year-old carnival ended," he said.
For those interested in more details, contact Ercan Tekin at 0212 247 33 57.