Shadow play is an art form that involves hand-crafted puppets moving behind a thin translucent curtain or screen, usually in a dark room; it is now carried out mainly in Damascus.
The first records of puppetry in Syria are of shadow theatre are from Abul Ala al Maarri (973-1057) in one of his poems. The four centuries of Ottoman occupation brought decline to the intellectual, cultural, and scientific spheres from 1516-1918. Shadow theater was full of sociopolitical critique, with Karakoz plainspokenly addressing everyday life and the state of the country. It was a forum where people could express their anger, hatred, and rejection of an oppressive regime.
The puppet shadows are projected onto the screen by light from behind the stage, as they move to an oral script and music. Shadow play involves humorous social critiques, which are incorporated into the use of poetry, prose, singing, and music - and satire is used to convey the narrative between the two main characters, the nave Karakoz and his clever friend Eiwaz. Other characters include talking animals and female personalities. The performances are typically held in popular cafes, where people watch stories about everyday life.
Shadow play has declined over the years due to modern technology and digital entertainment, as well as the massive displacement of Syrians within and outside the country caused by armed conflicts. It is now rare to see performances in cafes, and performances in theaters and festivals have mostly taken their place. Due to a confluence of these factors, only one active Mukhayel (puppeteer) survives and is active in Damascus today.
In the meantime, traditional shadow theater has almost completely disappeared. There remains, however, a young artist, Zaki Cordilo, that trained with Abdulrazzaq al Dhahabi, the last traditional artist (who died in 1993). Zaki Cordilo inherited an impressive collection of puppets that are more than a hundred and fifty years old, and he presented his shadow theatre in Damascus.
The son of a traditional storyteller, Shadi al-Hallak, has also embraced the art form toward the end of the 20th century. With the help of the Ministry of Culture and the UNESCO Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage, he aimed to resurrect Karakoz, which is considered nearly extinct but potentially viable with effort.
In 2012, puppets played a key role in protests against the government during the political unrest and fighting following the "Arab Spring". YouTube puppet shows gained widespread attention and were discussed in the press. In his story A Diary of the Small Dictator, Masahit Mati uses a wooden puppet called Bichou as his main character to parody the Syrian president Bashar al Assad.