'Turkey's Liberace': gay icon celebrated at hugely popular Istanbul show

Touted as the “Turkish Liberace,” late singer Zeki Muren adored women’s clothes, outrageous makeup and was held up as a gay icon – an unlikely hero for modern-day Turkey. Yet a new show on his life is pulling in record crowds in Istanbul. Muren bucked all trends in a country known for its conservatism. Entitled “Here I am, Zeki Muren” after one of his big hits, the Istanbul exhibition offers a rare look at his extraordinary life. Dozens of photos – from early childhood to flashy stage shows, films, world travels and nights out with stars – along with letters and shimmering artifacts pay hommage to his legacy.

He was a groundbreaker. He taught us it’s OK to be different, to think differently, to express yourself differently. He will remain forever in our memory.

Veysel Ugurlu, one of the curators of Here I am, Zeki Muren

After a life in front of cameras, Muren died on stage, suffering a heart attack in 1996 at age 65 while recording a show for TRT national television in the western city of Izmir. The channel had just given him the microphone he had used in his first radio broadcast in 1951. Overcome with emotion, the singer collapsed a few minutes later. Muren, who never married nor had children, donated all his possessions to the Turkish Educational Foundation and the Turkish Armed Forces prior to his death. Veysel Ugurlu, one of the curators, said the material filled 15 trucks and took organisers six months to sort out. The show, already extended twice, is now set to run until January 15.

Liberace Arts