‘Sisters’ continue famous stick man’s legacy at museum

ANKARA

The daughters of the founder of Turkey’s famous stick man character “Cin Ali,” who has helped millions of children learn to read and write for half a century, have been continuing the legacy at a museum devoted to him since 2019.

“Cin Ali is a cultural heritage to Turkish people. So, we decided that this legacy should go on, therefore, we established this museum,” Nesrin Kalaycıoğlu, one of the daughters, told state-run Anadolu Agency.

“Cin Ali” was written in 1968 by Rasim Kaygusuz, a Turkish teacher who told Cin Ali’s stories in simple words so that all first-grade students would understand and learn to read with joy.

Kaygusuz depicted “Cin Ali” as a stick man character.

Kaygusuz added his own daughters, Kalaycıoğlu and Nevin Kaygusuz Apaydın, to the “Cin Ali” stories as two characters, “Suna” and “Selma.”

Kalaycıoğlu was “Selma” and Apaydın was “Suna” for the Turkish students.

“Cin Ali has been a part of us for years. We were the same age as Cin Ali. He is our fictional brother who never grew up,” said Apaydın, the fictional “Suna” character of the “Cin Ali” series.

Both sisters established the Cin Ali Association in 2016 and founded the Cin Ali Museum in 2019.

Belongings of the founder of “Cina Ali,” old school desks, toys and ancient black school uniforms are on display at the museum.

“Cin Ali’s legacy must live,” said Kalaycıoğlu.

“Our father always advised us, saying, ‘Take care of Cin Ali.’ We now know that Cin Ali is a cultural heritage to not only Turkey but to the world,” she added.