You can compare Istanbul to a big store selling local products. Here you can find local products, especially souvenirs everywhere. Turks like bargaining and find it sincere. So feel free to bargain. Some Turks want to shake hands while bargaining with you. Shaking hands while bargaining means “agreement”. Shaking hands also tells us that the bargaining is almost over. We have prepared a list of some beautiful souvenirs and good memories that you can take with you when you leave Istanbul:
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1. Coffee Set
Making Turkish coffee, the most consumed beverage in Türkiye is quite easy. When you buy the coffee set, you get a cup set and coffee pot. If you buy from the Grand Bazaar, you can buy freshly ground coffee from Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi and take it to your friends and continue the joy of having Turkish coffee with your friends at home. Don’t forget to tell a fortune!
Check out where to drink Turkish coffee in Istanbul to plan your visit and have this local experience!
2. Tea Set
The steeped tea in Türkiye is served with a specially shaped glass. In a study conducted in one of the famous engineering faculty of a university of the country, it is said that the tea served in this type of glass maintains its thermal balance and owes its flavor to this glass. Typical Turkish tea is strong and dark. You can adjust the taste by adding water according to your taste. Your friends will love this exotic taste. You will feel that you are on the streets of Istanbul while sipping tea. Try it with a piece of lemon.
3. Glass and Mosaic Lighting Products
When you see the rich options in the Grand Bazaar, you will lose your head, we may say. Each of the colorful lamps bearing the mystical spirit of Türkiye is unique and has its own specific characters. When these lamps are made, workers add their own art. Perhaps the most exotic gift you will bring from Istanbul will be a lamp.
4. Handmade Village Shoes
If you want to feel yourself in a fairy tale, take a look at these shoes. We are sure that they will fascinate you with their vibrant colors and authentic styles. These shoes are used in some Turkish folk dances. You can use it as an ornament or if you buy the folk-dance costume along with the shoes, learn a few dancing figures. So you can arrange a “Turkish night” for your friends.
5. Turkish Delight
Have you seen or read the “Chronicles of Narnia”? If your answer is “yes”, you will remember Turkish Delight. Lokum, called as “Turkish Delight”, can be plain, double roasted, with peanut, with hazelnut, with rose and many other types. If you tell them that you will take lokum to your country when purchasing, you can have them packed accordingly. Since some sealed packages may be aged, taste and have packed the product you want. You will lose yourself while tasting the lokum.
6. Halva
Another Turkish delight “halva” is one of the most classic gifts will be brought from Türkiye. Turkish desserts are generally enjoyed by everyone. Halvas made from sesame seeds or hazelnuts can be easily brought to your home and are very good gifts if you don’t like shopping.
7. Ornament
When exotic designs are combined with precious stones, magnificent jewels emerge. One of the most trafficked goods made in Türkiye is gold jewelry and is really nice. If you want to give these accessories to your loved ones, you should go to the jewelry stores and look at the options. You can buy it at the Old Bazaar in the Grand Bazaar.
8. İznik Ceramics
Traditional Iznik ceramics are very beautiful because they are both handmade and authentic. You can bring the splendor of palaces to your house by purchasing Iznik ceramics which are also found in historical places such as Hagia Sophia and Topkapı.
9. Backgammon
Backgammon played since the 16th century, has become more beautiful with the carvings of wooden artists in Istanbul. The best backgammons are made from walnut wood with a pearl inlay. If you do not know how to play, learn to play when you come to Istanbul and if you like, practice plenty. We’re sure you will get a backgammon board on your way home. This gift is quite elegant.
10. Scarves
Scarves are not used only to cover heads in mosques. It is also used as a clothing accessory. You can get nice and quality scarves from almost anywhere in Istanbul where you can see hundreds of designs in different kinds of fabrics and colors.
