Abstract
Evaluation of Karagöz Art, an Intangible Cultural Heritage within the Context of Tourism
Intangible cultural heritage are of utter importance in terms of tourism. Preserving the intangible resources and ensuring their sustainability will considerably contribute to tourism. Intangible cultural heritage resources can be studied in many different aspects as to tourism. In this context, one of the intangible cultural heritage resource is Karagöz Art. Karagöz Art is a traditional shadow art that has been performed in a master-apprentice manner since historical times. This study aims to reveal the current status of Karagöz Art held in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Accordingly, the study will determine the potential paths to take to improve Karagöz Art and to evaluate it in the tourism context. In the study for which qualitative methods are employed, the data have been collected through a semi-structured form as a result of interviews with 13 Karagöz artists who are members of UNIMA. Subsequently, the study assesses the results obtained from the interviews in the scope of preserving the traditionality of Karagöz art, extending national and international activities, and increasing the number of trained artists in the traditional master-apprentice manners. The study concludes that Karagöz Art creates a suitable space for more cultural transfer, provides cultural promotion, and also makes it possible to stage games suitable for different nations. Besides, the majority of the participants give positive evaluations on displaying Karagöz art in national and international festivals and events.
Keywords
UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Karagöz Art, UNIMA, Karagöz Artists.
