Master craftsman / puppet maker, performer, stage director owner of Karagöz Antique Shop/ folklore researcher
R. Şinasi Çelikkol was born in Bursa in 1947. Since 1988 he has organized Karagöz shadow puppet theater in Bursa. He learned how to perform Karagöz from Metin Özlen, Orhan Kurt, Taceddin Diker and Torun Çelebi. Since 1993 Çelikkol has organized the International Karagöz Puppet and Shadow Theater Festival with a support of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality and Bursa Foundation of Culture, Art, and Tourism. In 1997 he founded UNIMA (Union Internationale de la Marionnette) Bursa brunch, where he has served as a director. Çelikkol has also taught how to perform Karagöz to his apprentices since 2000. He has participated in various puppet festivals in Turkey and abroad, and exhibited and performed Karagöz shadow puppet theater.
In addition to it, Çelikkol is a researcher of folk culture. He researches clothes of Turkmen in Balkan and Turkish nomads in Anatolia. Çelikkol has received many awards including an award from Folklore Research Institute (1993), UNIMA honorable award (1997), Istanbul Children Foundation award (1998), and Bursa Rotary Club profession award (2005). Çelikkol currently continues to live and introduce Karagöz shadow puppet theater in Bursa.
KARAGÖZ ANTIQUE SHOP
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Tom Brosnahan
On my first visit to Bursa, in 1968, I arrived in the evening without a hotel reservation. A kindly shopkeeper helped me with a recommendation.
He didn't just recommend a good, clean, cheap hotel to me, he left his shop, led me across the city to it, made sure the price was right, and helped me check in. Turkish hospitality!
The shopkeeper was the late Mr Rafet Çelikkol, original owner of Karagöz Antikaci (Karagöz Antiques Shop) in the Eski Aynali Çarsi section of Bursa's Covered Bazaar. Rafet Bey named his shop after Karagöz ("Black Eye"), the legendary, feisty namesake of the traditional Turkish shadow puppet theater, because he loved the handmade puppets and the amusing plays.
Karagoz Shadow Play, Bursa, Turkey
Today, Rafet Bey's son Mr Sinasi Çelikkol carries on his father's tradition of helpfulness and fair dealing at Karagöz Antikaci. Like his father, he delights in traveling to the villages to find the best and most authentic Turkish handicrafts and folk-art pieces, and antique household furnishings. He sells at fair prices, just as his father did.
Karagoz Shadow Puppet, Bursa, Turkey
Sinasi (shee-NAH-see) isalso the prime mover in the effort to preserve in Bursa the tradition of the Karagöz shadow puppets. He has a small shadow puppet theater set up in his shop so he can put on impromptu shadow puppet plays for his visitors. He also collects and sells the best-quality shadow puppets made by local artisans.
Karagöz Antikacı
Kapalı Çarşı,
Eski Aynalı Çarşı İçi No. 12-13
Osmangazi,
16020 Bursa, Turkey
Tel +90 (224) 220 5350, 221 8727
sinasicelikkol@karagoztravel.com
Bursa Karagöz Theatre
Traditional Karagöz Play, Karagöz Shows
Workshop figures, slide shows
Conferences about Karagöz
Private Plays.
Karagöz craftsman: Master Shadow Puppeter R. Şinasi ÇELİKKOL
Assisters: Uğur Çelikkol, İbrahim Koca, Aysel Çelikkol, Esat Taşatmanlar, Seçkin Güneş, Özkan Ferik, Ergin Çetindir
Music: Şenol Çelikkol
Light: Aysun Çelikkol
About the founder of Group
“Master Shadow Puppeter R.Şinasi ÇELİKKOL the founder of Bursa Karagöz Theatre and Present of Bursa UNIMA”
He took lessons from Metin Özlen, Orhan Kurt, Taceddin Diker and Master Shadow Puupter Torun Çelebi and assist them. He was the presedent of 9 Bursa Karagöz Shadow and Puppet play fests in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001,2002, 2003. He leads many Karagöz seminars in Bursa. He was sent to assist Metin Özlen and to open an expo for Belarus Karagöz fest in 1993 by Ministry of Culture.
In October 1993 he assisted Metin Özlen and Orhan Kurt for Oberhausen fest in Germany and opened an expo. He took roles in many Turkish Karagöz Fests. He attended Finland Oulu fest to perform 6 plays and created an expo. He performed 2 plays in Atina Maroussi Greece fest, created an expo about Karagöz figures and Bursa. He performed in many German fests like Dachau, Munich, Traunstein, created expos and gave lectures. He was invited to Varna Golden Dolphin Puppet Fest. He attended the fest in Dobriç-Doburca in Bulgaria. He successfully represented Bursa and Turkey in many organizations. He was invited to Europe’s most prestigious puppet fest in Dordrecht,Holland. He performed 6 plays there. He also performed many plays in West Thracia.
His first Karagöz plays started in 1988. He founded Bursa Unima Office in 1997. He leaded to found Karagöz House.
