Text witten by Mehmet, Egehan, Ali & Engin

Performed by Mira & Deha

A funny story from Turkish culture with Turkish characters of Karagoz-Hacivat-Nasreddin Hodja

Enjoy!

Opening Story

Narrator:

Once upon a time, in Nazarköy, a small village in İzmir, there was a traditional glass workshop. The workshop was full of colorful beads made by skilled glass masters. One day, a visitor entered the workshop and heard a surprising voice.

Dialogue

Glass Master:*

Welcome to Nazarköy, İzmir. Our village is famous for traditional glass beads.

Visitor:

Your workshop is beautiful. There are so many colorful beads here.

Blue Bead:

Hello! Did you notice me?

Visitor:

Oh! Who is speaking?

Blue Bead:

It is me, the blue bead on the table.

Visitor:

You are very beautiful. Why do you look like an eye?

Blue Bead:

People in Türkiye use beads like me as a symbol of protection, hope and good wishes.

Glass Master:

The nazar bead is also an important part of traditional Turkish glass art.

Visitor:

How do you make a nazar bead

Glass Master:

We heat the glass in a very hot fire, shape it carefully and add different colors

Blue Bead:

Every bead is made by hand, so each one is special.

Visitor:

Where do people use nazar beads?

Blue Bead:

You can see us in homes, schools, shops and cars. People also give us as gifts.

Visitor:

What does this gift mean?

Blue Bead:

It means, “I wish you happiness, safety and good luck.”

Visitor:

Now I understand. You are not only a decoration. You are also a part of Turkish culture

Glass Master:

Please take this blue bead as a gift from İzmir.

Visitor:

Thank you. I will tell my friends about Nazarköy and Turkish glass art

Blue Bead:

From Türkiye to our friends, I bring friendship and good wishes

All Together:

May friendship travel around the world!

Using these handmade puppets, the students performed an English puppet show introducing the rich cultural heritage of Türkiye. Through this enjoyable activity, they improved their creativity, communication skills, environmental awareness, and English language abilities while learning about traditional Turkish culture.

This activity demonstrated how waste materials can be given a new purpose through imagination and teamwork, turning them into meaningful educational tools.