A Martyr of the Multicultural Ottoman Theatre: The Ottoman-Armenian Legacy of Mardiros Mnagian (1912–1920)

Table of contents

Bibliographic information

Cover of Volume: DIYÂR Volume 5 (2024), Issue 1
Full access

DIYÂR

Volume 5 (2024), Issue 1

Authors:
Publisher
Ergon, Baden-Baden
Copyright Year
2024
ISSN-Online
2942-3155
ISSN-Print
2625-9842

Chapter information

Full access

Volume 5 (2024), Issue 1

A Martyr of the Multicultural Ottoman Theatre: The Ottoman-Armenian Legacy of Mardiros Mnagian (1912–1920)

Authors:
ISSN-Print
2625-9842
ISSN-Online
2942-3155
Preview:

On May 12, 1912, the Varyete Tiyatrosu in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district hosted a seminal event in the annals of Ottoman theatre: the first official jubilee honoring the Armenian actor and director Mardiros Mnagian for his half-century of contributions to the empire’s theatrical arts. This event preluded the 1914 establishment of Darü’l Bedâyi, the inaugural Turkish theatre, by Turkish Muslim intellectuals and the Istanbul city government. While Mnagian’s role as principal drama instructor at Darü’l Bedâyi’s was proof of his initial import to the institution, he was not immune to politically motivated exclusion. His abrupt dismissal on July 13, 1915, speaks to the larger shadow of the Armenian Genocide, which removed Armenian talent from the burgeoning Turkish theatrical scene. After his dismissal, Mnagian dedicated his remaining years to nurturing new Armenian theatre troupes, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural landscape until his death in 1920. Mnagian’s life and career, often overlooked by scholars, present a compelling study of an individual navigating the dual facets of an Ottoman-Armenian identity within the theatrical realm. This research aims to delve into Mnagian’s intricate identity interplay, dissecting how he balanced and projected his Armenian and Ottoman personas in his theatrical pursuits. Such an inquiry not only resurrects Mnagian’s obscured legacy but also illuminates the dynamics of cooperation and the subsequent dominance of the Ottoman-Turkish community over the Ottoman-Armenian community in the cultural sphere. Mnagian’s contributions transcended communal lines; he was not only a seminal figure in Western-style Armenian theatre but also, as his name suggested, a martyr in the evolution of Turkish theatre. His life and death bridge cultures in a textured narrative of service and unity, underscoring the multifaceted role he played in shaping the theatrical heritage of the Ottoman Empire.

Bibliography

  1. Altintas, Toygun. 2018. Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) | International Encyclopedia of the Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  2. First World War (WW1). URL: https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/armenian_ Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  3. revolutionary_federation_arf (accessed 2023) Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  4. And, Metin. 1971. Mesrutiyet döneminde Türk tiyatrosu, 1908–1923. n.p.: Türkiye İş Bankası Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  5. Kültür Yayınları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  6. –. 1972. Tanzimat ve Istibdat Doneminde Turk Tiyatrosu (1839–1908). Ankara: Türkiye İş Bankası Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  7. Kültür Yayınları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  8. –. 2004. Türk Tiyatro Tarihi Başlangıcından 1983’e. İletişim Yayınları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  9. Aslanian, Sebouh. 2016. ‘‘Prepared in the Language of the Hagarites’: Abbot Mkhitar’s 1727 Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  10. Armeno-Turkish Grammar of Modern Western Armenian’. Journal of the Society for Armenian Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  11. Studies 25.1. 54–86. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  12. Aysal, Necdet. 2020. ‘II. Meşrutıyet Dönemi’nin Toplumsal Bir Yardım Kuruluşu: Osmanlı Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  13. Donanma Cemiyeti’. The Journal of Institute of Black Sea Studies 6.9. 103–120. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  14. Aytemiz, Pelin. 2013. ‘Death Photography in Turkey in the Late 1800s and Early 1900s: Defining Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  15. an Area of Study’. Early Popular Visual Culture 11.4. 322–341. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  16. Baş, Elif. 2020. ‘From the Ottoman Empire to Pre-Islamic Central Asia: Theatre as an Ideological Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  17. Tool’. East-West Cultural Passage 20.1. 7–29. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  18. Cheterian, Vicken. 2020. ‘Siruni: The Witness to the Great Calamity’. Agos. URL: https://www. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  19. agos.com.tr/en/article/23955/siruni-the-witness-to-the-great-calamity (accessed 31 December Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  20. 2023) Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  21. Chololian, Hagop Siruni. 1966. ‘Mnakyan Im Hushnerus Mēj’. Sovedagan Arvesd. Yerevan. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  22. n.pp. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  23. Çizakça, Defne. 2016. ‘Sharing the Stage in Istanbul: The Multi-Ethnic Beginnings of Ottoman Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  24. Theatre’. In Goldwyn, Adam J. and Silverman, Renée M. (eds.). Mediterranean Modernism: Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  25. Intercultural Exchange and Aesthetic Development. Mediterranean Perspectives. New York: Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  26. Palgrave Macmillan US. 197–232. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  27. Dürder, Baha. 1966. ‘Tiyatromuzun Dorukları: Manakyan 1.’ Türk Dili Dil ve Edebiyat Dergisi. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  28. 15. 172. 239–240. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  29. Faroqhi, Suraiya and Öztürkmen, Arzu. 2014. Celebration, Entertainment and Theatre in the Ottoman Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  30. World. Enactments. London: Seagull Books. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  31. Güllü, Firat. 2008. Vartovyan kumpanyası ve Yeni Osmanlılar: Osmanlıya has çokkültürlü bir politik Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  32. tiyatro girişimi. İstanbul: Bgst Yayınları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  33. Hovannisian, Richard G. and Payaslian, Simon. 2010. Armenian Constantinople. Historic Armenian Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  34. Cities and Provinces 9. Costa Mesa, Calif: Mazda Publishers. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  35. Hovhannisyan, H.V. 1969. Martiros Mnakyan. Erevan: Haykakan SSH GA Hratarakch‘ut‘yun. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  36. Izrail, Nesim Ovadya. 2023. Tanzimat, İstibdat ve Meşrutiyet Tiyatrosunda Mardiros Mınakyan Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  37. -Türk Devlet Tiyatrosu Darülbedayı. İstanbul. Kor Kitap. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  38. Kadıoğlu, Ayşe. 2021. ‘Leaving a Life Behind: Eliza Binemeciyan’s Encounter with ‘the Banality Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  39. of Evil’’. Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies 28.1. 3–32. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  40. Kerem, Karaboğa. 2011. Geleceğe Perde Açan Gelenek Geçmişten Günümüze İstanbul tiyatroları. vol. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  41. 1. İstanbul: Yapı Kredi Yayınları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  42. Madat, A. 1943. Sahnemizin Değerleri. 2 vols, vol. 2. İstanbul: A.B. Nesriyati. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  43. Manok, Yervant Baret, and Mehmet Fatih Uslu. 2013. Dogu ile Batı Arasında San Lazzaro Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  44. Sahnesi: Ermeni Mikhitarist Manastırı ve İlk Türkçe Tiyatro Oyunları. İstanbul: Bgst Yayınları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  45. Sagaster, Börte. 2021. ‘Fecr-i Ati’. In Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE. Brill. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  46. Şarasan (Sarkis T’iwt’iwnjian). 2008. Turkiye Ermenileri Sahnesi ve Çalışanları. Translated by Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  47. Bogos Çalgıcıoğlu. Beyoglu, İstanbul: Bgst Yayınları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  48. Sedes, Selâmi İzzet. 1938. ‘Selâmi Sedes’in Konferansı’. Türk Tiyatrosu 86. 5. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  49. Şekeryan, Ari. 2023. The Armenians and the Fall of the Ottoman Empire: After Genocide, 1918– Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  50. 1923. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  51. Sevengil, Refik Ahmet. 1961. Tanzimat tiyatrosu. İstanbul: Milli Eğitim Basimevi. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  52. –. 1968. Meşrutiyet Tiyatrosu. İstanbul: Milli Eğitim Basimevi. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  53. –. 2015. Türk Tiyatrosu Tarihi. İstanbul: Alfa Yayınları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  54. Sevengil, Refik Ahmet and Önal, Sami. 1998. İstanbul Nasıl Eğleniyordu?: 1453’ten 1927’ye Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  55. Kadar. İstanbul: İletişim Yayınları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  56. Step`anyan, Garnik. 1962. Urvagits Arevmtahay T‘atroni Patmut‘yan. Erevan: Haykakan SSṚ Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  57. Gitut‘yunneri Akademiayi Hratkch‘. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  58. Ülker, Erol. 2005. ‘Contextualising ‘Turkification’; Nation-Building in the Late Ottoman Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  59. Empire, 1908–1918’. Nations and Nationalism 11.4. 613–636. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  60. Üngör, Uğur Ümit. 2011. The Making of Modern Turkey: Nation and State in Eastern Anatolia, Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  61. 1913–1950. Oxford: University Press. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  62. Üstün, Koray. 2021. ‘Süreli Yayinlarin Biyografik Türlerin Gelişimine Katkisi ve Bir Örnek: Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  63. Minak Efendi’nin Tercüme-İ Hâli’. Edebi Eleştiri Dergisi. 172–182. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  64. Vezenkov, Alexander. 2009. ‘Reconciliation of the Spirits and Fusion of the Interests. ‘Ottomanism’ Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  65. as an Identity Politics’. In Mishkova, Diana (ed.). We, the People: Politics of National Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  66. Peculiarity in Southeastern Europe. CEUP Collection. Budapest: Central European University Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  67. Press. 47–77 Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  68. –. 2013. ‘Formulating and Reformulating Ottomanism’. In Daskalov, Roumen Dontchev and Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  69. Marinov, Tchavdar (eds.). Entangled Histories of the Balkans - Volume One: National Ideologies Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  70. and Language Policies (Boston: Brill). 241–271. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  71. Zekiyan, Bogos Levon. 2013. Venedik’ten İstanbul’a Modern Ermeni Tiyatrosu’nun İlk Adımları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  72. İstanbul: Bgst Yayınları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26
  73. Zobu, Vasfi Riza. 1977 O günden Bu güne: Anılar. İstanbul: Milliyet Yayınları. Open Google Scholar DOI: 10.5771/2625-9842-2024-1-26

Citation

Download RIS Download BibTex

Downloads

Download chapter (PDF)

Notice

This work is protected by copyright and may only be used in accordance with the provisions of the Terms of Use and License Agreement. Any use of the work beyond this is expressly prohibited and will be prosecuted.

Share via email

Media