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Shopping
tips for Bodrum
Shopping through the narrow
streets of Bodrum between the white walls is one of the
pleasures you must try here. The Turkish crafts make it
impossible to resist buying something. The most popular objects
for the holiday maker are of course carpets; but the varied
leather, copper and bronze wares, silver and gold, handicrafts
and embroidery, and the famous Turkish meerschaum and onyx are
on many peoples' lists. |
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Osman miniatures
To start with, whatever is offered to you as a miniature, even
if it looks genuine and old - is not original. In fact there
were only a few painters employed by the Sultans and all
originals are well kept in the museums.
But as a distinctive decoration, it will still look nice.It is
highly praise worthy that the old art of the miniature painting
has again been taken up in the universities of fine arts and is
taught in this country. Old book pages are nowadays used for
painting on, in order to maintain the antique character. A part
of the page, where the picture has to be is covered first with
opaque white. If you want to test the authenticity, hold the
miniature up against the light and you will see the dark patck
painted over the old text. The Turkish tradition to illustrate
manuscripts existed during the cultural period before the
arrival of Islamic belief.
About this have we a lot of information prepared for you. Just
make a note in your Mail for Miniatures
to us and we will send you detailed info. |
 
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Turkish carpets
First in general, what is it we call a carpet? In Turkey we
differentiate between the knotted carpet, which is called HALI,
and the woven carpet, the KILIM. Carpets are are the most well-known
souvenirs you can bring home from Turkey. And even if you have
had just the bad luck of being cheated, they are still a lot
cheaper than in your own country.
A serious seller tells you and informs you about some basic
values in carpet making. The closer together and tighter the
knotting, the finer, stronger and more precious the carpets
beomes. The number of knots varies from 150,000 per sq. mt. to
1,000,000 per sq. mt. in the finest silk carpets.Thus, a 1,5 to
2 mt. carpets can take from 3 months to one year to complete. In
the villages around Bodrum, Milas and Mumcular, rugs are still
woven by hand in the traditional way.
A well made carpet can last for well over a hundred of years but
it should be cherished correctly as a piece of art
Here are the addresses of two
serious dealers:
Mehmet Cengel;
in the center of the town, on the entrance to the harbour;
(0252) 316 1747
Preisbeispiele:
Copperware
In Turkey there are still hand-made copper goods, of the type,
which long ago - was made by the workman at the corner. You can
still watch this being done in the environment of the closed
Bazars in Istanbul. In addition, in near Bodrum there is such a
copper village (or Bakirköy - as one says here). The village is
called Kavaklidere, and is approximatel about 100 km to the East
of Bodrum near the city of Yatagan.
Textiles and leather
Products of the natural raw materials leather and cotton are
traditionally sold in the shops of Turkey. Cotton is cultivated
everywhere in Turkey, so that Turkey is in fact third biggest
producer of cotton in the world. Travelling inland and passing
Ephesus or Kaunos you will see many cotton fields. Pamuk is the
Turkish word for cotton. The harvest is in September - October.
Everything related can also be seen in the Bodrum Video |
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Meerschaum pipes
Carving pipes out of the natural material
meerschaum has a long tradition in Turkey. Already in Ottoman
times these pipes were wellknown all over the world. Originally
this special skill is based in the town of Eskisehir.
In Gümüslük you can also watch the
art of pipe making here using the material "meerschaum" which
being porous absorbes nikotine very well.
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Hand made sandals
Skilled artisans can make you a pair of snugly fitting leather
sandals in the traditional Aegean style. You will find craftsmen
in the centre of Bodrum - like Ali Usta and others. You can
either order or try one of the pairs they have in stock.
Sandal making has a very old tradition in Bodrum. More then
thirty years ago out of a native interest in Roman sandals some
*shoe-makers* started the craft. Today these sandals, which can
be considered as pieces of art, carrying old time history to
modern people's feet. |
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Waterpipe - nargile
Its a ceremony to smoke from the Nagile, the Turkish waterpipe.
Tobacco,or better only the best leafes of tobacco are laid on
the pipe and then topped with a piece of hot charcoal. The water
in the pipe cools it down and absorbs the nicotine. |
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The Boncuk
There is one typical item, an equity of this region you should
take home as a souvenier, it's called the Boncuk, the Little
Magic Stone that protects one from the *Evil Eye* (pronounced 'bon-dschuk'),
you will see this blue glass piece everywhere here in this area.
But read the
BONCUK Story first. |
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Ceramics from Kütahya
This wonderful blue on plates and tiles you'll find mainly on
the ceramic articles from the central Turkish city Kütahya. Very
often you will see samples that show the tulip motif, which
dates from the time when this flower originating in Persia
became known around the world. |
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Market day in Bodrum
Every Tuesday there is a cloth market and every Friday, here is
a market with fruit and vegetables. Traders and farmers come to
Bodrum to sell their produce. This ranges from all kinds of
fruits and vegetables to imitation Rolex watches and items of
clothing. good to watch as well in the video
It is well worth a visit and you should try to bargain before
buying anything. |
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FETHIYE
BODRUM
MARMARIS
ANTALYA