| Baklahorani | |
|---|---|
People of Tataula (now Kurtuluş) dressed in traditional costumes during the carnival, 1930s. |
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| Date(s) | Shrove Monday |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Tataula (now Kurtuluş), Istanbul, Turkey |
| Inaugurated | again in 2010 after 66 years of ban |
Baklahorani (Greek: Μπακλαχοράνι) or Tataula carnival (Greek: Αποκριές στα Ταταύλα) is a carnival celebrated in Istanbul, Turkey, and led by the local Greek-Orthodox community. It was traditionally held on annual basis every Shrove Monday before Lent, but it was banned by the Turkish authorities in 1943. However, from 2010 there has been a revival initiative, after nearly 70 years of prohibition.[1]]
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For almost five centuries, the local Greek communities throughout Istanbul (former Constantinople) celebrated pre-Lent carnival with weeks of bawdy parades, lavish balls and street parties. This continued for weeks before the 40-day Lent period.[1] Baklahorani took place at Shrove Monday, the last day of the carnival season before Lent. The name of the event, literally translates as 'I eat beans', a reference to Lenten dietary restrictions.[2] At this day, Orthodox Greeks from all neighbourhoods of the city and classes gathered: the Christian urban elite of Pera and other districts along with the rogues, men wearing fustanellas in disguise, as well as Albanians with charachteristically rich moustaches, all flocked the area in order to celebrate.[3] Although the event was led by local Greeks, the celebrations were not limited among the Greek community of the city, but were open to everyone. It was also an opportunity to bring together people from various neighborhoods, while they gathered for the final celebrations in the Kurtuluş,[2] a neighbourhood in Şişli district that time known as Tataula and nicknamed Little Athens.[4]
The masked parade marched the route dancing tsamiko and Anatolian folk dances, accompanied by various traditional instruments, like drum, zurna, clarinet and mandolin. Residents from Bakırköy, Samatya, Fener, Balat crossed the Golden Horn on the Galata and Unkapanı Bridge, and then from Pera they reached dancing the large square opposite Saint Demetrius Church in Kurtuluş. On the other hand, people from neighborhoods at Bosphorus, Şişli, Kemerburgaz gathered in front of the Pangaltı Catholic Cemetery and marched through the main street to the same square, where the celebrations culminated.[5] Some young Greeks, except from members of the mise en scène groups, wore the traditional fustanella. In addition to men, who put on fake beard or moustache, completely paint their face with flour or coal powder, women were dressed in décolleté garment.[6]
The carnival reached its peak of popularity after World War I, during the years of the Allied Occupation of the city (1918-1922). It continued after the establishment of the Republic of Turkey until World War II.[4]
Baklahorani was a colourful feature of Christian life in Istanbul until its last commemoration in 1941. After that, Greeks, along with the city’s other non-Muslim residents, faced social and financial discrimination.[1] A law banning people from wearing masks ended the original Baklahorani carnival in 1943.[7] However, in 2010 the historical carnival was revived after a long hiatus by a celebrating group of Greeks and Turks who sang, danced and paraded in costumes through the streets of Şişli district.[5]
According to researchers Haris Theodorelis-Rigas and Hüseyin Irmak, the reincarnation of the carnival represents an opportunity for Turkey to discover its rich multicultural past. On the other hand, for many Greek citizens and expatriates from abroad who joined the celebrations, it was an opportunity to indulge in a bit of freedom from daily woes and restrictions.[8]