Shopping In Turkey: A Guide To The Best Things To Buy

• Turkish Alabaster 

Turkish alabaster is a fine-grained, translucent light-colored stone with streaks of pastel color.

The color, grain and light passing through it make it pretty, which is why it’s used to make ashtrays, bowls and plates, chess sets, cups, egg cups (and ornamental eggs), vases and other items both useful and ornamental.



You’ll find carved alabaster pieces for sale all over Turkey for TL 3 to TL 20 and up.

Look especially in Istanbul in and around the Grand Bazaar, and in Cappadocia in the town of Avanos.

• Turkish antiques

Antiques and old stuff are found all over Turkey—this is a very old country, after all—but the best antique shops are undoubtedly in Istanbul.

Perhaps because they were the first, or perhaps because Istanbul has a larger number of people who appreciate antiques, this city is the center of the trade.

For help in finding exactly what you’re looking for, call on Marilyn Hill-Henderson.



Check out the Grand Bazaar’s central Old Bazaar section, which has been the place to find odd and curious treasures for about a thousand years.

Also stroll Beyoglu’s Çukurcuma neighborhood, especially Faik Pasa Sokak and Çukurcuma Caddesi, not far from Galatasaray Square.

The shops here specialize in old prints, paintings, maps, home decorations, furniture, glassware, old weapons, etc.

• Bouquet of silk The needle lace of Aydin

In the Aegean region it was traditional for local village men of an adventurous disposition to join armed bands which, in Robin Hood style fought on behalf of good against evil. Known as efe, these men were held in legendary esteem. During Turkey’s War of Independence (1919-1922) the efes fought heroically on the side of the nationalist forces led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The costumes of the efes were as colourful as their exploits, one characteristic feature being the needle lace known as oya worked by their wives in a myriad floral designs in coloured silk.On a visit to Aydin, I met Zafer Esi, who showed me some lovely oya lace and explained to my astonishment that the fearsome efes of past centuries used it to ornament their headdresses. Zafer Esi’s interest in oya lace began when he purchased some antique lace which a local village woman had kept in her trousseau chest.


His fascination with this beautiful needlework led him on a door to door search through the villages of the region in pursuit of new examples for his collection. In the course of his search he discovered not only items of clothing worn by efes, but heard interesting accounts of their lives from their relatives. After 25 years he now has a magnificent collection of 1500 items, consisting of various articles of clothing and household linen decorated with oya lace. The original object of the varied coloured lace was apparently to provide camouflage for the men in the mountains. Whether this was as effective as the camouflage designs of modern soldiers or not, it was certainly far more aesthetic. In time the lace became a way for their wives to show off their skills as needlewomen, and so the oya lace made for efes is always the most intricately worked. The lace is stiffened with wire or horsehair so that it stands up, and its designs consist most commonly of sun, daisy and tulip motifs.

Another form of apparel edged with oya lace are the plain coloured cloths known as grep worn by women as head scarfs. The patterns of the lace are designed not only for their visual appeal, but also as an expression of the womn’s emotions. If she is happy she works spring flowers, and if unhappy chili pepper flowers.The kefiye is another type of cloth made of very fine silk in bright polychrome stripes or checks. Again kefiyes are edged in colourful oya lace and worn by women either wound around a low fez cap to form their headdress, or around their necks. A larger cloth known as ulada is worn by women on their heads on special occasions such as weddings or religious feast days.
One of the uladas in Zafer Esi’s collection is particularly precious to him, and he keeps it carefully wrapped and touches it as little as possible. This ulada has its own story.

When Esi was touring the countryside one day buying new pieces for his collection, he arrived in the village of Danismend, and knocked on the door of a house which turned out to have been that of a celebrated efe, Ismail Efe of Danismend. His daughter opened the chest containing Ismail Efe’s clothing to show Esi, and he asked if she would sell him a lovely ulada that had belonged to her father. She was offended by the offer to buy it, explaining that for her its value was not material but sentimental. During the War of Independence,Mustafa Kemal Ataturk asked Ismail Efe to blowup a bridge over the Menderes River.

It was nearing the end of the war, and the retreating Greek army’s only chance of help was from the Italian forces, who would have to take the route across the bridge to reach them. The 200 soldiers defending the bridge were defeated by Ismail Efe and his men in a fierce battle, and the bridge was blown up. Ismail Efe then set out for his village, where his wife had been waiting anxiously.

When she saw him arrive back safe and sound, she was so happy that she removed the ulada from her head and wrapped it around the head of the horse he was riding.

Having concluded her story, Ismail Efe’s daughter declared, ‘That is the story of the ulada which you are asking to buy. The property of an efe cannot be sold, but if you want it so much and will take good care of it, let it be yours.’ Zafer Esi indeed takes good care of this gift. Every so often he unwraps it carefully and airs it so that the fabric does not rot. This and the other items in his remarkable collection are a precious legacy of the region where he lives, whose traditional handcrafts and costumes are rapidly disappearing in the modern age

• Buldan Cloth

.The woman was singing the folksong beginning ‘Her scarf was edged with lace’ as we entered. She was so absorbed in spinning that at first she did not notice us come in. She was in a hurry, it turned out, because her husband who was busy at the loom was about to run out of yarn. Süleyman’s callused hands moved as nimbly across the loom as his wif’ss worked at twisting the thread.
Whichever house you visit in Buldan you first hear the sound of a song, and then notice a callused hand or one stained with henna. You find yourself in an age-old story which has continued unchanged for centuries. It is the story of Buldan cloth, each thread of which is the product of hard work and methods which have been passed down from father to son and mother to daughter for countless generations.
For the inhabitants of the town of Buldan in the western Turkish province of Denizli, weaving is a way of life. The town’s history is closely associated with the fabrics woven here.


The famous 14th century traveller Ibn Battuta said, ‘Its bazaars are very fine, and in them are manufactured cotton fabrics edged with gold embroidery, unequalled in their kind, and long-lived on account of the excellence of their cotton and strength of their spun thread.’ Buldan cloth is documented as being among the personal property of the first Ottoman sultan, Osman Gazi (1299-1324), and made into clothing worn by Sultan Murad I (1360-1389) and Sultan Bayezid I (1389-1402), and a shirt worn by the famous 16th century Ottoman admiral Barbaros Hayreddin Pasa.
Today even more people than in the past make a living from weaving, though only a few from the old handlooms which Süleyman still uses. Many have installed motorised looms in the basements of their houses or in outhouses, and many others work in the gigantic weaving mills. Hand weaving has trouble competing these days, but is still regarded as superior in quality.

Pure cotton cloth accounts for the greatest part of the cloth woven here, while that made of silk is in decline due to the cost. Instead, artificial silk and polyster are used in increasing quantities. The soft and hardwearing Buldan cotton or silk cloth is made in beautiful colours, and the natural fibres allow the skin of the wearer to breathe. Preparing the cotton yarn for handmade cloth is a long and painstaking process, including washing, dyeing, and spinning.
In the past the quality of Buldan cloth depended of course on the quality of the cotton, but equally on the natural dyes that were used, made from gallnuts, bay, walnut leaves, acorns, liquorice, chestnut, onion skin and the yellow berries of Rhamnus petiolaris. Chemical dyes have replaced all of these today, apart from the yellow obtained from acorns, for which each dyer has his secret formula.
When the dyed yarn has dried it is wound onto bobbins, and then the weaving begins on traditional looms operated both by hand and foot.

These handmade fabrics are more hardwearing than those produced on mechanised or factory looms, and the people of Buldan regret that their beloved hand looms are being ousted by mechanised modern looms.
Traditional textiles woven on hand looms include the bath wraps known as pestamal, towels, sheets, tablecloths, handkerchiefs, and the large scarfs known as üstlük which local women tie not only around their heads but also around their waists. These come in a myriad types, embroidered, patterned or plain, and sometimes with the warp threads braided at the edges. The traditional womn’st robe known as üçetek, which is still worn by local women, particularly on special occasions, is frequently made from Buldan cloth, also known as bürümcük. Today this cloth is used to make various types of clothing, curtains and sheets. Although handmade sheets, for example, are hard to find these days, those made on mechanised looms differ only to the discerning eye.

he typical Buldan sheets with fringes are available in plain, coloured and striped varieties, and sometimes have borders along the narrow ends, a type known as fitilli.
The embroidery which used to be done by hand is also now machine worked in colour schemes predominantly featuring golden yellow, orange and brown. Traditional motifs including zigzags and kilim designs, and clover leafs, daisies, ears of wheat, magnolias, pomegranate flowers, lilies, tobacco flowers and tulips.

• Carik

Research has so far traced the history of Turkish costume back to the eighth century, before the Turkish conquest of Anatolia. The Turks of Central Asia were a nomad people whose needs were mostly supplied by their herds, so leather wool and hair were used in many diverse ways to make tents, furnishings, clothing and other daily needs. Of course one of these uses was shoes, and the earliest type of leather shoe made by the Turks was the çarık, and there are still traditional çarık makers in some Anatolian villages.

According to H. Kazım’s Turkish dictionary çarık is a word of Persian origin, corrupted from the original çaruk into çarık. In rural Turkey today there are two main types of çarık, known as the kara çarık and derde burnu. The kara çarık is most suitable for village people working all day in the fialds, because it is extremely comfortable and hardwearing. These are worn over thick woollen socks and secured by puttees (cloth strips wound around the leg) or leather thongs.

The second type of çarık known as derde burnu is more finely made than the kara çarık, and like the shoes worn by the Hittites 3000 years ago the toe turns up at the end. Along the sides are tiny holes pierced as equal intervals. Through these pass the leather laces or the braid used to tie thick decorative buckles around the ankles. The derde burnu is largely worn on special occasions and holidays. In addition to these two main types there are two others known as aynalı and tokalı.

Although these shoes might look simple to make, the correct from can only be achieved by experienced craftsmen. Çarık should preferably be made of ox or water buffalo leather. The raw hide is first soaked in salt, diluted yoghurt, linseed oil and alum to both soften and strengthen it, and is then dried in the shade. The best çarık are made of the leather from the back of the buffalo.

The tools used to make çarık include a hard piece of bark sharpened with a knife or an awl (an instrument with a wooden handle and pointed steel tip.) The leather is stretched over a flat piece of wood and cut into strips known as davlu about 15 centimetres wide. A medium-sized ox hide produces six such strips, since the leather from the belly is too thin for making shoes, and instead is used to make thin thongs or yoke straps. Five or six çarık can be made from each davlu. If the leather is still not sufficiently soft for shaping into shoes the leather is soaked again in water before starting work.

So that the shoes do not harden in time and rub the foot, they are oiled with various substances such as unpasteurised milk, kidney fat, linseed oil, sesame oil, poppy seed oil, olive oil, or in the Black Sea region with dolphin oil. In some villages of north-west Turkey vinegar is used instead. The çarık are then hung in the sun to dry for four dats, after which they are buried in damp soil. Subsequently the soil is brushed off, leaving the çarık soft and pliable.

Çarık will last for three to four weeks worn on stony ground, and up to two months otherwise. Although their use is rapidly dying out as country people buy cheaper factory made shoes instead, some çarık makers have survived due to the demand from tourists for these traditional shoes

• Carpets of Niğde kilims

Carpets, kilims and other types of hand made rugs are among the masterpieces of traditional Anatolian art, reflecting the culture and tastes of centuries. The pastoral nomadic communities of Central Asia obtained most of their basic needs from herding and hunting, and their dwellings were tents woven from wool and hair. Their furnishings too consisted of rugs and other hand woven articles decorated with various motifs. The Central Asian tradition of carpet and kilim weaving going back to 2400 BC was introduced by Turkish migrants to Anatolia, where it encountered an ancient tradition of spinning and weaving fabrics going back even earlier than that of Egypt. Archaeologists have found traces of looms dating back to 3000 BC and fragments of textiles going back to 6000 BC. The ancient peoples of Anatolia spread rush matting on the floors, and wove baskets, hammocks, and fabrics of linen, hair and wool. They hung leather and dyed woven cloths on their walls. Motifs of magical and religious significance decorated these textiles.
Spinning, knitting and weaving were seen as sacred tasks carried out by women, and their products were valued items of trade from Mesopotamia in the east to the Greek colonies in the west. Muslim tribes of Turkish origin are known to have first entered Anatolia via Thrace in the 8th century, and another wave of migration via Iran and Iraq occurred in the 11th century. From Central Asia and the countries through which the Turks made their way eastwards, these new arrivals brought with them a culture influenced by Chinese Tao and Buddhist and Persian Manichaean and Zoroastrian thought. Long after settling in Anatolian cities, traces of these ancient influences survived in the carpets which they wove. Cappadocia in the heart of Anatolia has throughout history been a junction of human movement to west and east. Conquest, trade and migration created a mosaic of cultures here, each exerting its own influence and being influenced in its turn. It is here that Karum and other Assyrian trading colonies, the most ancient of their kind in the world, were located, in the provinces of Kayseri and Nigde.



Carpets have been woven for centuries in the towns of Maden, Kemerhisar, Adurmusun and Fertek in Nigde. Their designs are primarily symmetric, but even when asymmetric, a balance is maintained between filled and empty areas. The idea of unity of opposites is the source of harmony in their compositions. Woven for the most part by women, the motifs of these carpets symbolise concepts like fertility, health, sin, death, rebirth, the evil eye, and infinity. The first Turkish settlers in this region were followers of mystic Islamic movements such as the Kalender, Melami, Bektasi and Ahi, which exalted human existence. The influence of their own and other cultures gave rise to the unique repertoire of motifs of the region. The most widespread of these motifs are eyes, stars, trees of life, scorpions, talismans, streams, burdock, birds and ram’s horns. The eye motif guards against evil and jealousy, and is a symbol of abundance and fertility. The star symbolises happiness, and the tree symbolises life.

A 19th century prayer rug woven in Fertek has tree of life motifs in the form of stylised tulips along the upper edge. Birds depicted in a tree symbolise the soul, and also symbolise sacred beings who lift the souls of the dead to heaven. The scorpion symbolises heroism, and is also believed to lend protection to the carpet. The talisman motif protects both carpet and weaver from evil and misfortune, and imparts strength and courage. The stream motif represents abundance, cleanliness and purity, while burdock represents birth and fertility. Ram’s horns are again symbols of abundance and fertility. Some of the carpets woven in the district of Maden have compositions inspired by woodwork in the central field, and are known as cupboard carpets for this reason. In the borders they have ‘hand on waist’ (elibelinde) and ram’s horn motifs, both symbolising fertility, and star motifs.

These motifs and their hidden and sometimes magical meanings can be traced back to various sources: the Hittite cult of the Mother Goddess Cybele, who was widely worshipped by other peoples of Anatolia over the millenia, geometric Islamic decoration, the simple lines of Mesopotamian and Ionian art, Central Asian shamanism, and mandalic symbolism. Last year, with the support of the Ayhan Þahenk Foundation, the province of Nigde launched a project for reviving traditional carpet compositions in Nigde and Cappadocia. The first carpets woven under the auspices of the project were shown at a recent exhibition illustrating the powerful beauty of these local designs.