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Shopping in Turkey can be a thrilling experience, and certainly a way to get close and personal with the natives, but hey, folks, use your common sense.
With so much at stake in the form of commissions, shopping in Turkey can make you feel like the hunted, rather than the hunter.
The basic rule of thumb is unless you're an expert, buy what you like at a price you can afford, and don't over-agonize about quality, weave, knot count or sheep quality. The second most important guideline is that if you can get it cheaper at home, the asking price is gaseously inflated.
Shopping Tips Nobody Else Will Tell You:
Carpets
A carpet is the prize, the great white elephant of travel to Turkey. An eye-catching collection of kilims, camel bags and pillows can drastically improve the cozy quotient of your home, while a bright, colorful geometrically patterned hand-woven carpet that glistens with the natural oils of the wool is a solid investment. At this point, what can I say? Do your homework and set a limit on how much you want to pay. Carpets that cost thousands and thousands of dollars are either grossly overpriced or collector's material (and you won't be able to tell these from the fakes unless you're a collector).
Remember that the salesman is a pro and that he will eke out every last cent or pence from you, so no matter how well-honed your bargaining skills, his are better. Buy what you like, pay what you can afford, and don't ever ever have the carpet appraised upon your return home.
Fixed price rug shops:
- Authentic Art in Selcuk center, across from the Ephesus Museum.
- Dösim is a collective operated by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (in Topkapi 1st couryard, opposite Topkapi Entrance, in the Haseki Sultan Hamam in Sultanahmet Park, Open Air Museum Goreme, et al.). Prices skyrocketed since the shop's inception. Also sells good quality souvenirs you won't find elsewhere.
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Ceramics
The second most cherished prize in Turkey is one of the hundreds of stunningly hand-painted ceramic plates, often modeled on museum pieces, decorated with tulips, miniatures of Ottoman life or fabulous florals. The most superb reproductions come out of the kilns of the Iznik Foundation, which has revived the artistry of palace-quality plates fashioned out of quartz.
The centers for ceramic production are in Avanos, Cappadocia, and in Kutahya, also a center of fine porcelain production. Prices of plates can skyrocket almost as high as those for carpets, so again, ignore the instructional speeches of your salesmen, and buy what you like and can afford (reasonable-sized plates can run into the hundreds of dollars). The only exception to this rule is the merchandise created by the Iznik Foundation (www.iznik.com), an organization that researched and recreated the chemical composition of the Ottoman Empire's most colorful, high-quality pieces. Tiles are made of quartz, and porcelain is hand-crafted and decorated. Pieces are available at the foundation's Istanbul branch (Kuruçesme Öksüz Çocuk Sok. 14, Besiktas; Tel. 0212/287-3243, and at Nakkas, a high-end shopping mall down the hill from the Hippodrome in Sultanahmet.
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Souvenirs
Some of the most fun you'll have, particularly in Istanbul's sprawling Grand Bazaar, is the thrill of the hunt for items that cost just a few dollars. It's like playing the slot machines at Las Vegas; no harm done if you lose.
Beware of antiques and collectables: without a certificate issued by a museum directorate, you will be not be allowed to carry your booty on the plane.
Copper and handicrafts come in the form of traditional accoutrements for the hamam, wooden or copper clogs, traditional copper tables and those tea sets you'll see delivering brew throughout the day. The crafting of meerschaum into fantastical pipes makes a great collectors item, while rare Ottoman prints (or pages torn out of old books) look exquisite when professionally framed. The Ottoman Sultans were greatly proficient in poetry and calligraphy, so many of these prints will have spiritual meaning as well. Keep an eye out for reproductions of the Sultan's tugra (too-rah), the royal official seal of state.
For those last minute souvenirs you mean to give away, I promise you that you will never go wrong with a playful harem hat, a red felt fez, a blue glass "evil eye" or a pair of embroidered elf shoes, all purchasable with a lot of stamina and as little as $2 to $5 to each. But these are just the tip of the iceberg. Wait 'till you meet the god Bes during your visits to Ephesus, and get "fairy'chimney" overload in Cappadocia.
Fixed Price Souvenir Shops:
- The Bazaar in the Ataturk International Airport Duty Free area.
- The Istanbul Handicrafts Center (next to Yesil Ev Hotel and opposite the Blue Mosque
- For Ottoman-inspired glassware and tabletop designs, seek out one of the many branches of Pasabahçe. The nationwide chain has a centrally located shop on Istiklal Cad. 314, in Beyoglu.
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Cotton, Silks and Texiles
While scarves, pillowcases and tablecloths can be picked up in any tourist destination, Turkey is meanwhile a thriving center of textile production. The former Ottoman capital city of Bursa is a major center of cotton and silk production, and plush towels and robes can be had for almost a song in and around the central Bedesten. Silks are on sale in the Koza Han.
Pamukkale is not just the center of calcium "cotton castles"; it's also one of Turkey's main cotton producing centers, with bulk manufacturing of linens and weaves destined for a Turkish girl's dowry. You'll also find some major American brand names in production centers around the region, and fluffy bathrobes and towels in an array of clever designs. (Production sales centers are clearly marked on the roads in and around Denizli/Pamukkale).
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Copper
I've never been able to convince myself to haul back upwards of 30 pounds of metal on my flight back home. Still, every time I visit Ankara and Istanbul, I gaze longingly at those hand-punched copper trays and decorative crescent-and-star-topped cudgels. Your best bet is on Çikrikcçilar Caddesi in Ankara (in Ulus, down the hill from the Citadel) and in Çikrikcçilar Caddesi past the entrance to the book bazaar in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar).
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Jewelry
I'm partial to hand-crafted reproductions of Hittite, Greek, Byzantine, and Ottoman designs. For those looking for banal gold and silver chains, by all means, head to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. (This is actually ok; one has to buy their wedding gifts somewhere – traditionally a gold item for the bride). For more creative types, try Urart (Topkapi Palace, third courtyard shop), Eller Art Gallery (off of Istiklal Caddesi on Postacilar Sokak), in the Ankara Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, and of course, at the ubiquitous Dösim.
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Bookstores in Istanbul
Istanbul has a fantastic selection of English and foreign language memorabilia, in the form of historic and cultural tomes, museum catalogues and art books. For art and architecture lovers, head to Homer Kitabevi, located on Mesrutiyet Caddesi down the hill from the Post Office (across from the Fish Market on Istiklal). The messier Pandora bookstore (off Istiklal on Büyükparmakkapi) offers worldwide delivery for its bulky artbooks. In Sultanahmet, the main players are Kayseri (Divanyolu, near the tramway) and Ayip, with two locations (on Mehmet Aga Caddesi and in the Nakkas Center down the hill from the Hippodrome).
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Foodstuffs
Baklava - I personally love Hassan Usta. Divan Patisserie makes a good one too. Gulloglu, in Karakoy, is famous for its baklava and börek, the former available in neat little boxes at the airport for easy transport. Gulloglu also has a sugar free version that is not half bad.
Wine – See feature on Turkish wines
Olive Oil – The quality of Turkish olive oil, even the most mundane brand, has always been outstanding. What's changed is the marketing – producers now recognize the promise of design and packaging. Komili, a brand available at the grocery store, is a standard winner. Upscale versions are now also available in grocery stores, and in the airport. If the Datca Peninsula, Marmaris is on your itinerary, make a stop at the Olive Farm (www.olivefarm.net).
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