No travel ends without buying some souvenirs and gifts to bring home. Luckily, Turkey is one of those destinations that has a lot of options when it comes to shopping for souvenirs and gifts. To help you with your quest and give you some insight, we listed 8 things to buy from Turkey.
1. Nazar boncuğu – Evil eye talisman
The evil eye is a curse believed to be cast by a malevolent glare, usually given to a person when they are unaware. Many cultures believe that receiving the evil eye will cause misfortune or injury. In Turkey you can see them almost everywhere; at homes, offices, in cars and especially pinned on sleepsuit’s of babies. The best evil eye talismans are hand crafted in blown glass. You can find evil eye talismans in every size and shapes even different colors than the traditional blue and white.
2. Kilim – Turkish carpet
Turkish carpets are hand woven floor or wall covering which is produced mainly in Anatolia, including neighbouring areas. Known for expert artistry and quality, Turkish carpets form an essential part of the Turkish culture.Turkish women spend many months making a carpet that will vary in size from the small prayer mats to the huge carpets for large living rooms.
3. Copper
In the Ottoman era, copper bowls, plates, cups and utensils were common household items. Now, these antique items are on sale in Turkey’s bazaars, markets and antique shops. Note that copper is poisonous, and items not covered with silver-coloured tin will be unsafe for serving food or cooking with.
4. Food
There are so many delicious options to bring back home from Turkey. The Turkish delight, lokum, is one of the most popular item and comes in many varieties. Turkey is the world’s largest producer of hazelnuts, and is among the world’s top producers of dried fruits and nuts, including figs, apricots and raisins. You can also buy a variety of chesee, Turkish coffee or tea as well.
5. Spices
There is a huge variety of spices in bazaars and markets in Turkey. You can find good quality red pepper flakes, dry oregano, the wild oregano, cumin, sumac, Urfa pepper and nigella seeds among many others.
6. Textile
Turkey exports a huge amount of textiles, and supplies large fashion companies. Bursa and Pamukkale are top spots for textiles but you can find the good quality textiles almost everywhere. Bath robes and towels are one of the most popular textile items.
7. Leather
Turkey is one of the top countries producing and exporting leather products. You can find many leather manifactured products like bags, jackets, belts and shoes. It is also possible to get your own custom made leather item.
8. Jewelery
Turkey is one of the ideal places to pick up some jewellery, as well as some delicate handcrafted silver and gold work. When buying silver or gold jewellery, make sure the maker’s hallmark is stamped onto the item, demonstrating its authenticity. Although Istanbul has the best variety of gold jewellery, any bazaar in Turkey will be likely to have good quality gold jewellery.
