Human Capital and Cultural Resilience: Sulukule Entertainment Houses as an Alternative Urban Economy

‘Entertainment Houses’ of Sulukule are small-scale businesses based on human capital that operated from the 1950s to the early 1990s. These businesses reflect the unique characteristics of the Roma/Gypsy community, a marginalized urban social group known for its skills in the entertainment sector. This study examines Sulukule’s historical music, dance, and entertainment, focusing on Entertainment Houses’ roles in cultural transmission, vocational training, and economic models. In addition to literature data, I will also interpret data obtained from ethnographic research conducted in the neighbourhood at various times from 2006 to the present. In this study, I argue that Sulukule Entertainment Houses function as spatial initiatives aimed at transforming the market conditions shaped by entertainment and tourism forces—especially amidst the neighbourhood’s demolition threats that create insecurity and informality—into opportunities. This process also carries critical implications about how the image of Sukululeli is constructed, while subtly hinting at the resilience of life in the neighbourhood and the influence of artistic mastery in its formation.