Theater of Northern Cyprus

Northern Cyprus has a vibrant and colorful history in the theater scene. This rich cultural heritage is kept alive by the Turkish Cypriot State Theatre, municipal theaters and various private theater groups. The Cyprus Theater Festival organized by the Turkish Municipality of Nicosia is one of the most important events of this heritage. The festival becomes a large organization with the participation of many institutions from Turkey and brings together many theater lovers every year.

Unfortunately, there are no large halls built specifically for theater in Northern Cyprus. For this reason, plays are usually staged in conference halls. Despite this deficiency, Nicosia Municipal Theater stands out as one of the most important theater groups in Northern Cyprus. This group, which appeals to large audiences both in Turkey and Cyprus, carries out various programs to make Turkish Cypriot children love theatre.

Historical Origins and Development
The origins of Turkish Cypriot theater date back to the Ottoman period. At that time, shadow plays such as Karagöz and Hacivat gained great popularity on the island. Although this traditional form of theater has lost its popularity today, it still continues to be shown on television during religious holidays.

As the Ottoman Empire entered the modernization process from the 1840s onwards, theater genres with greater European elements were introduced to the Turkish Cypriot people. The beginning of modern Turkish Cypriot theater is considered to be the staging of Turkish playwright Namık Kemal's play "Homeland or Silistre" in 1908. During this period, local plays began to be written and staged, and theater companies from Turkey performed in Cyprus in the 1920s. These developments led to an increase in theater activities in the Turkish Cypriot community, with theater plays being staged regularly in all major towns.

In the 1960s, Turkish Cypriot theater began to gain a more institutional structure. The theater group called "İlk Sahne", founded in 1963, continued its activities in 1966 by taking the name of the Turkish Cypriot State Theater and has staged more than 85 plays since then. Nowadays, theater is a very popular form of art in Northern Cyprus. There are long queues for tickets to the plays at the Cyprus Theater Festival and the interest in theater is gradually increasing.

The theater scene of Northern Cyprus offers great richness with its historical roots and modernizing structure. This stage, an indispensable cultural event for theater lovers, offers unique experiences to the audience by combining both traditional and modern elements.