Turkey is a shopper’s paradise, with its bustling bazaars, markets, and malls filled with unique handcrafted items. When visiting this culturally rich country, you’ll want to bring home special souvenirs to remember your trip. Here are 10 of the best things to buy in Turkey:
1. Turkish Carpets
Beautiful handwoven carpets are one of Turkey’s most iconic products. You can find them in varying sizes and designs, from geometric patterns to intricate floral motifs. Haggle for the best deal at Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar or other markets. Just be prepared to pay for shipping if you buy a large carpet!
2. Ceramics
Intricately painted plates bowls vases, and tiles are available across Turkey. Istanbul and Cappadocia are especially good spots to buy quality ceramics, often in that signature deep blue hue. They make great decorative pieces for your home.
3. Lanterns
Stunning Turkish mosaic lamps in vibrant jewel tones are an exotic accent piece. The Grand Bazaar has an ample selection but you can also find them in souvenir shops. Make sure they’re well wrapped for transport!
4. Jewelry
From elegant gold pieces to stylish evil eye charms you’ll find quality jewelry at reasonable prices. Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar has over 50 dedicated shops to peruse.
5. Leather Goods
Turkey is known for well-crafted leather items like jackets, purses, and footwear. Shop around to find good deals from local craftspeople.
6. Textiles
Richly embroidered bedspreads, table runners, and pillows made of silk or cotton are lovely Turkish keepsakes. So are soft Pashmina scarves.
7. Spices
In bazaars like Istanbul’s Spice Market, you’ll find mounds of vibrant seasonings, from fragrant saffron to smoky paprika. They make inexpensive, light souvenirs.
8. Tea Sets
A decorative Turkish tea set, with tulip-shaped glasses and a petite teapot, is sure to get daily use. Pair it with delicious apple tea.
9. Turkish Delight
These chewy, gummy candies flavored with rose water or pistachios are a famous Turkish treat. Buy them fresh in bulk to take home.
10. Pottery
Handmade, earthenware pots and vases are iconic Turkish crafts. Cappadocian pottery in rich red clay is especially noteworthy.
With this list in hand, you’re sure to find amazing Turkish mementos to suit your interests and budget while exploring this one-of-a-kind country. Just be sure to leave room in your luggage on the trip home!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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…
Top 5 Must-Buy Turkish Souvenirs to Bring Home | Your Ultimate Guide!
FAQ
What is a must buy from Turkey?
Traditional Textiles: Shawls, Scarves, and Towels
Turkey is known for its beautiful textiles, including handwoven shawls, scarves, and towels. These items often feature intricate patterns and vibrant colors, making them perfect souvenirs.
What is worth to buy in Turkey?
- Carpets. Carpets are the number one article to buy in Istanbul. …
- Tea and coffee sets. …
- Wonderful lamps. …
- Clothes, bags and other accessories. …
- Ceramics. …
- Jewellery. …
- Turkish sweets. …
- Spices from Turkey.
What is Turkey famous for shopping?
Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, Bursa, and Izmir are the most famous Turkey bazaars.May 17, 2024
What’s cheaper to buy in Turkey?
Prices may vary depending on location and quality, but you can generally find many goods cheaper than in other European countries. Popular items to buy include textiles, ceramics, and leather goods which are offered at very reasonable prices, particularly when purchasing handmade goods from local markets and bazaars.