Music of the Coffeehouses of Ottoman Istanbul

Musical journey through 19th-century Istanbul

Discover the rich musical culture of 19th-century Istanbul with Çağlar Fidan, Derya Türkan, and Nikos Papageorgiou. You will embark on a journey through the diverse sounds of the city. In the lively semai coffee houses, people such as firefighters and sailors gathered. Here, spontaneous and expressive music emerged, rooted in daily life. At the same time, the kıraathane developed as a venue for classical Ottoman music. Originally reading houses, they later became stages for music.

Meeting of musical worlds

Çağlar Fidan, Derya Türkan, and Nikos Papageorgiou bring these two musical worlds together. They reveal the differences, but also the surprising similarities, between the music of the semai coffee houses and the kıraathane. It is a musical journey that takes you to the meeting places where different social and musical worlds coexisted and sometimes met in 19th-century Istanbul. Çağlar Fidan plays the kanun and sings, Derya Türkan plays the kemençe, and Nikos Papageorgiou plays the lavta.