meddah

Turkish mime

Also known as: mukallit

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

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The meddah was a Turkish mime, or imitator, who was popular in the Ottoman Empire. Similar to classical Greek performers, the meddah was essentially a storyteller who used mimicry to entertain, primarily appealing to uneducated audiences. They would use gestures and words to imitate animals, birds, or local dialects, making them very popular in Arabic- and Turkish-speaking regions. Sometimes, multiple meddahs would perform together, which may have led to rural theatrical performances. While literacy and modern entertainment have reduced their prevalence, vestiges of this performance style can still be found.1

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Islamic arts
Mime shows
Called meddah (eulogist) or mukallit (imitator) in Turkish, the mimic had many similarities to his Classical Greek forerunners. Basically, he was a storyteller who used mimicry as a comic element, designed to appeal to his largely uneducated audience. By gesture and word he would imitate animals,…
Read More
Called meddah (eulogist) or mukallit (imitator) in Turkish, the mimic had many similarities to his Classical Greek forerunners. Basically, he was a storyteller who used mimicry as a comic element, designed to appeal to his largely uneducated audience. By gesture and word he would imitate animals,…
Read More