Turkish theater originated in 10th century with Ortaoyunu, Meddah, and Karagoz. First European theater troupes visited Turkey in late 18th century. First Turkish theater opened in Istanbul in 1869 by Gedik Pasha. Ottoman Imperial Theater (Darulbedayi) established in 1914
Metin And was born in Istanbul in 1927 and studied law at Istanbul University. He worked as a theatre lecturer at Ankara University for over thirty years. He published 54 titles and around 1,500 scholarly articles on Turkish theatre. He won numerous awards including the French Officier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres