Güllü Agop

Güllü Agop
Güllü Agop, alias Agop Vartovyan, and Yakub
Born	1840 Constantinople,
Died	1902 (aged 61–62) Constantinople
Nationality	Ottoman Armenian
Occupation	theatre director

Agop Vartovyan (Armenian: Հակոբ Վարդովյան), better known as Güllü Agop (Armenian: Գյուլլու Հակոբ), (took later the name Yakub), (1840, Constantinople - 1902, Constantinople) was an Ottoman Armenian theatre director as well as an occasional actor. He is widely credited with having laid the bases for Turkey's modern and nationally renowned performing arts institution that became İstanbul City Theatres (İstanbul Şehir Tiyatroları). In his qualities of organizer, sponsor and figure of support for writers and spectators, Güllü Agop is one of the 19th century pioneers of the Turkish theatre art as a whole. He was accepted founder of modern Turkish Theatre.

Biography

Vartovyan was born in 1840 in Istanbul with the name Agop Vartovyan to Armenian parents. "Güllü Agop" (literally Jacob the Rosy) was the name under which he had come to be known in the world of theatre. He converted to Islam in his forties and took the name "Yakub".^[1] He is the father of Necip Yakup Aşkın, considered as one of the most prominent violin masters Turkey produced and his grandson, Yücel Aşkın, was the rector of Van's Yüzüncü Yıl University. He works an academician in the university and is chairman of Environmental Engineering.^[2]

Güllü Agop had another son called İhsan Aşkın. After retiring from the army where he served as colonel, he became an actor and took part in around 50 movies.

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