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The 21 Best Things to Buy and Bring Back from Turkey

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Trading goods has been part of the fabric of Turkish culture for centuries, so no trip here is complete without a few new items squeezed into your bag for the flight home. Here’s your guide to what gifts and souvenirs to buy in Turkey, with a few tips on how to shop Turkish style along the way.

Sure, you can find Turkish products in your home country as well as in other lands, due to the confluence of cultures down through history. But there’s nothing quite as fun as shopping for them in Turkey – what with all the bargaining and the tea – and you will doubtless find excellent prices and quality, too.

Olive oil soap

Turkey can lay claim to centuries-old olive trees, allowing it to produce some of the best natural and handmade soaps in the world. Pick up a few of these appealing green bars the next time you’re in the country. The all-natural ingredients are gentle on the skin and can even be used to wash babies. Try Derviş in the Grand Bazaar.

Kese hammam mitts

Anyone who’s been lucky enough to experience the relaxing-squeaky-clean joy of a hammam will have benefited from a rub down with a kese, a traditional exfoliating glove with a coarse texture. Used for centuries – if it ain’t broke don’t fix it – it makes your skin feel baby smooth and soft as it naturally exfoliates, removing dead and dry skin cells. It’s also – and here’s the rub – good for boosting your circulation. Browse Abdulla in the Grand Bazaar.

Nazar boncuk

A sure sign that someone’s been to Turkey is the ownership of a blue-glass evil eye, as the nazar boncuk is known in the country. It adorns every kind of trinket, from necklaces to key rings. The power and the colour of the eye are said to ward off adversity and so you’ll see them nationwide, on doorways, in the walls in houses, and on babies’ clothing, as well as attached to horses and on the rear-view mirrors in vehicles. Have a look for elegant examples in branches of lifestyle store Pasabahce.

Backgammon set

Backgammon has been around for thousands of years – the ancient Egyptians, Persians and Romans all played forms of the absorbing board game. Bringing back a hand-crafted set from your trip to Turkey is the perfect way to transport a little history and culture in the name of serious entertainment. Intricately detailed wooden details make this an appealing addition to your coffee table or the perfect present for that (annoying) friend who has everything…

Turkish tea and glasses

Incredibly portable (which means it’s easy to carry in a cabin bag), neatly stackable tulip Turkish tea glasses are an everyday symbol of Turkish culture. Turkey’s tea – or çay – culture is steeped in hundreds of years of tradition and tea is consumed all day long, starting from breakfast until bedtime. Offering tea and drinking tea together is a gesture of friendship. As well as looking pretty, the uniquely curved shape helps keep the tea warm, and your glass is usually handed to you on a colourful little saucer.

Turkish mosaic lamps

Inspired by the vivid decorations of the mighty sultans’ palaces, Turkey’s mosaic lamps display the colours of Ottoman cultures. Exquisitely handmade, they combine Turkey’s centuries-old tradition of glassmaking with the pre-electricity era of oil lamps. They can hang chandelier-style or be table- or freestanding. So attractive are they that Louis Comfort Tiffany returned from a trip to Istanbul and set about recreating his own, now world-famous version of the Turkish classic. Take a look at the many options sold by Tuncer Gift Shop (Taya Hatun Sokak 1) on the street that runs alongside Topkapi Palace.

Lemon cologne

Lemon cologne or kolonya has been a key element of Turkish hospitality since the days of the Ottoman Empire. This refreshing citrus multi-tasker is sprinkled on guests’ hands in homes, after meals at restaurants, during bus journeys and on many other occasions. Refreshing in the intense heat of a Turkish summer or when sprayed as a perfume, the cologne also functions as an effective hand-sanitiser, helping kill bacteria and germs. Ask about the fine brand Eyüp Sabri Tuncer in perfume shops.

Samovar

The charcoal-burning samovar, or semaver in Turkish, is a traditional and usually very ornate tea urn used in the preparation of high-quality black tea. They are handmade by craftsmen, often in copper, and the metal affects the quality of the tea as well as its aroma. Now mainly used for larger gatherings, more contemporary two-tier electric versions have become the day-to-day utensil of choice.

Hand-Painted Iznik Ceramics

If you’ve ever seen inside an imperial mosque, you will no doubt have seen the beautiful dark red and turquoise hues of the ceramics on the its walls. Iznik tiles enjoyed their heyday during the centuries of Ottoman rule, yet the tradition continues to this day, and there are only a few places that sell real hand-painted Iznik ceramics. Drop by Iznik Art in the Grand Bazaar to get your hands on some genuine hand-painted examples.

Hammam accessories

The Turkish bath is a ubiquitous spa treatment in the world today, as are hamman-related products such as peshtemals, those thin hammam towels, and olive-oil soap. However, it’s only in the Grand Bazaar that you can find the all-natural products sold by Abdulla, including hand woven peshtemals from a blend of raw silk, linen, and cotton, and handmade natural soaps.

Baklava for pudding

Baklava is a dessert popular across the Middle East and beyond – you’ll find it in countries from Iran to Greece. When in Turkey, cross to Istanbul’s Asian side to buy Bilgeoğlu’s amazing kuru baklava, made with pistachios from Gaziantep and clarified butter. You’ll know you’ve come to the right place when you see the window filled with displays of syrup-oozing, green-speckled baklava.

Textiles for your bedroom

Turkey is not the only country famous for beautiful textiles, but it is the only place you can find Tulu, an amazing shop with myriad exceptionally colourful goods. From bedding with swirly patterns and curly prints of vivid flowers, to soft and shapely kimonos and pyjamas, the store is a beacon to lovers of all things bright and beautiful.

Turkish Coffee

Turkish coffee is another product sold internationally these days, but only in the vicinity of the Grand Bazaar are you able to stock up on produce by Nuri Toplar, a brand established in 1890. Basically nothing has changed since its founding – the excellent coffee that Nuri Toplar roasts using a wood fire gives it a truly exceptional taste.

Organic towels

Jennifer’s Hamam is a top stop for covetable fluffy towels and peshtemal made from organic cotton. Find it in a busy street beside the Blue Mosque. Established by Canadian-born Jennifer Gaudet, the store is proud to work with some of the last families to maintain the tradition of Turkish hand-weaving.

Classic Turkish carpets

As any tourist will tell you, Turkey is famous for its carpets – and you’ll find some of the best examples in the country at Ethnicon and Dhoku, two stores under the same management. Whether you want a traditional design or something a bit modern, the two stores right across from each in the Grand Bazaar have been around for years, adding a very Turkish touch to homes all over the world.

Turkish confectionery

Travel back in time for your Turkish Delight – to Hacı Bekir, the Sultanahmet-district store that doesn’t seem to have had anything done to it since it opened in 1777. Resplendent in deep mahogany, lined with classic displays of Turkish candy, it’s a great place to browse. Don’t leave without a bag of mixed Turkish hard candy (try Akide brand) as well as pistachio or almond marzipan, and, of course, a big box of Turkish Delight.

Silk from Bursa

Once an important stop on the famous Silk Road, Bursa was the center of the silk and silkworm trade, and nowadays, it continues to stock an excellent array of beautiful local Bursa silk. Head to the Koza Han and ask for authentic Bursa silk; you’ll be sure to take home a piece of genuine beauty that you can wear or use to decorate your home.

Sucuk

Famous as the center of thermal spas in Turkey, Afyonkarahisar also has more to offer than a weekend stay in one of its many thermal spa hotels. Make sure to bring back some of the famous Turkish sucuk (fermented sausage) from Afyon, which you’ll find hanging in the windows of almost every store downtown – we’ve heard the best is at Cumhuriyet.

Wine from Urla

Even though Turkey’s viticulture history is one of the most ancient in the world, Turkish wines have just recently begun to make their mark in the world. Turkey has a lot of regions where wine is produced, but if you happen to visit Urla (near Izmir), make sure to take home a bottle of the award-winning Urla Nero d’Avola red wine.

Pottery from Cappadocia

Avanos has a long history of pottery making, which had its start with clay acquired from the local Red River. Make sure to visit the ateliers of local handicraftsmen to buy an authentic piece of Avanos pottery, or sign up for a class to make some of your own.

Dried Apricots

Malatya produces about 65–80% of the world’s dried apricots, so if you happen to visit, you definitely have to take some home because they are simply the best. Sun-dried on family-run orchards through the use of traditional methods, the Malatya apricot is an amazing treat.

Ready for your trip? Elevate your experience, be it in Istanbul or Cappadocia, by booking one of these guided tours and experiences in Turkey.
Jo Fernandez-Corugedo contributed additional reporting to this article.

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