 Shopping in Turkey - souvenirs and gifts | | What souvenir can you bring back from Turkey ? Where are the good bargains ? Shopping in Turkey is irresistible for the wide range of unique and beautiful crafts available but also for good bargains on items like fashion clothes. Shopping in the small shops of Cappadocia is a fun experience and you will certainly find some gifts to take back for friends and family or just a souvenir for yourself. |
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Rugs, Carpets and Kilims |  Carpet weaving is one of the oldest professions in the world. In central Asia, people wove carpets and kilims in order to protect themselves from the cold climate. The art of Turkish carpet weaving first started in central Asia. The oldest known "knotted" carpet (5th century BC) was discovered in the Pazyryk valley, about 5000 feet up on the Altai Mountains in Siberia.
But carpets reflect the culture of a people and often open our eyes to the way women who had little way of expressing their desires or their frustations could show it through their weaving designs.
Reading a Turkish carpet is astounding as you think of the young girl on her loom who is in fact using age-old symbols and designs but is writing her personal diary. Buying a handwoven carpet with a unique design is not just a way of decorating your dining-room - it also the way to preserve history and help continue these ancestral traditions.
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Silk Road Carpets and Kilims |  For thousands of years, Cappadocia has been the stopover point for the fabulous goods carried along the Silk Road. The Silk Road carpet shop was established by Bekir Sucu in 1972. After many years work he handed on the shop to his son Yasar Sucu. Silk Road carpet shop has a very beautiful collection of ...
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| Galeri Yunak |  The history of Galeri Yunak has evolved over three generations of the Elalan family. Halil Elalan is the current family member who is operating the business, still with the support of local Ürgüp community. In 1936 the Elalan family and Ürgüp workshop created a ...
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Supporting the local economy |  Shopping in Turkey is both entertaining and satisfying. You will get a lot of enjoyment (and maybe a good bargain !) from visiting small shops. The big carpet factories that you may visit on your tours have interesting demonstrations and information but remember that they also have big overheads which somebody has to pay for (maybe you ?) - over 70 salesmen and 25 showrooms and of course the commission paid to everyone involved (guide, bus-driver, tour operator, hotel, agency etc.) Some of the big stores will tell you that they are a cooperative subsidised by the State - unfortunately this is an untruth. If you buy from the smaller family-run shops you can be sure that are are supporting the local economy. And it is fun ! Don't ever feel pushed to buy, you can shop around, sit and drink tea, enjoy the contact with real Turkish culture and with friendly people. | |
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Textile | | Turkey is renowned for its textile industry which is an important part of the economy. You can often find good buys here for known brands since the cost of living and labour is lower than in other countries. |
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Sportif, Urgup |  Sports shoes and walking equipment. All major brands : Nike, Merrell, Jack Wolfskin, Outdoor, all authentic with ...
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| E-Shop, Urgup |  Located in Urgup's main street you can easily find this sportwear shop selling top brands such as Levi's, Docker's, Puma and other local brands. Here ...
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Ceramics |  Traditional hand painted ceramics and porcelain make attractive gifts items to carry back home. Similarly, copper vessels - which were common during the Ottoman Empire - make an interesting souvenir. |
| El-se çini Ceramics of Cappadocia |  Selma Tagar is a professional ceramics designer and teacher and presents her original handmade, hand-glazed and hand-fired creations. She has an exquisite collection of reproductions of Hittite and Iznik designs and can on request make up your own design - the only person in Urgup to ...
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Jewellery, Gold shops |  An exquisite piece of gold and silver jewellery, with or without stone setting, is something you should look for. Gold and silver jewellery are always sold by weight. Surprisingly, although the price of gold and silver are fixed internationally, jewellery items in Turkey are cheaper than in other places. This is due to the low labour cost. A wide variety in design is available and the craftsmanship is of a high standard. |
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| Gold shop |  There are many gold shops in Urgup which have jewellery all in 14, 18 or 22 carats. Bracelets, rings, necklaces or earrings - all are accompanied by an authenticity certificate. The quality of gold in Turkey is ...
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Leather | 
Turkey is also famous for its leather goods. In fact, some of the finest leather items manufactured in Turkey often find their way to shops in Italy. Premium grade leather is selected. This is then designed by fine craftsmanship into beautiful leather goods that show style and elegance.
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| Meershaum |  Another unique souvenir that you can pick up from Turkey is a Meerschaum pipe. Meerschaum is a type of heat resistant sea foam. When wet, this becomes soft and pliable enough to be carved into pipes. These pipes are so interesting that you will easily be tempted to buy one even if you are not a smoker. |
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