In Turkey, there was a storytelling art called "Meddahlık." A single storyteller (Meddah) entertained the audience by playing multiple characters using gestures and vocal changes. Meddah played the stories through conversation-centered expressions, leading listeners into a world of imagination. It started with telling religious and hagiographical stories, but gradually, the religious aspect faded, and stories related to people's real lives increased. However, with the diversification of entertainment and the acceptance of Western theater in the 20th century, the performance of Meddahlık declined to a minimal extent, and there are hardly any professional storytellers left today.
In this study, a structural analysis of Meddahlık was conducted in comparison with the oral storytelling of Japanese "Rakugo" , revealing many common elements between the two. Furthermore, through the analysis of historical backgrounds, it was verified that both Meddahlık and Rakugo have a common involvement of "religion" in their establishment.
