Night, Coffee And Entertainment in the Ottomans
Entertainment, as we know it, means having a good time and enjoying the activity. Some of its Ottoman meanings include stopping, taking a breath, and spending time somewhere. The meaning of entertainment, in today’s usual sense, can require action. Going to the movies, reading a book, partying, or traveling. But relaxation can also be part of leisure. Seen as one of the ways people coped with life, entertainment was also an important activity as it kept people occupied. When we look back to ancient times, it will be seen that the culture of entertainment differed from person to person and from society to society. According to Ahmed Rasim, hunting in the Ottoman Empire was a pastime for the rich and a matter of survival for the poor. The meaning can change a lot depending on the person and the place.
It can be said that coffee was one of the factors that radically changed the entertainment culture and the way people lived. With the spread of coffee-drinking culture in the Ottoman Empire and the increase in the number of coffeehouses, a large portion of the population started to drink coffee. According to Katip Çelebi, coffee arrived in these lands in 1543. Other sources say that the first coffeehouse was opened by two merchants in Istanbul in 1554–55. People gathered in the same place to talk about daily issues and gossip while drinking coffee, which was considered “unnecessary and useless” by some authorities and seemed like a time-consuming activity. One of the most important effects of the coffeehouse culture, which can be considered one of the most important beginnings of socialization, was its ability to keep people awake. In the past, the end of the day was the evening prayer. After the evening prayer, people would scatter to their homes, and that was usually the end of the day for the people. With coffee, people who were not sleepy could spend time and have fun even in the evening. Therefore, it can be said that coffee changed the way people lived. People could spend more time away from sleep. At the same time, they could be more fit and energetic during the day. In this case, it seems that the saying “Daytime is for having fun, nighttime is for sleeping” no longer has any validity. Thus, people broke this chain by spending time at night and being more “active”. Also, in Keykâvus’ Qabusnama, there is a statement that “Allah Almighty has created the night for rest”. Until this time, people have assumed that when night falls, the world, people, animals, and all of nature are in a state of rest. As a matter of fact, since there was not enough light in the past (compared to today), it could be very difficult to have “fun” at night. With the increased use of light and people staying awake longer with coffee, the secrets and mysteries of the night are becoming clearer. Thus, people started to take advantage of the night and were able to have fun, socialize more, and spend more time during this time.
In the following centuries, two different traditions emerged with the effective use of light. One of these is the Mahya, and the other is the Karagöz and Hacivat shows. Mahya is a system in which various religious sayings are written and shared with lamps between two minarets. Especially during Ramadan, the word “Ya Şehr-i Ramadan” is written, and this image appears more clearly at night due to the light. The Karagöz & Hacivat show usually takes place at night, and since it is a shadow show, a small light source is needed in a dark environment. These two examples show that after a certain period of time, people have started to do activities and new practices for the night that they had not thought of before. It also seems that evening activities became more important and started to gain a place in people’s social lives. In later centuries, with the development of the performing arts, the effects of the use of light on entertainment life increased even more.
As a result, as time progresses, the way people live changes according to various factors, along with the results of cultural change. These factors can also change the social life and entertainment culture of a society.
