Many visitors go to Turkey and have no idea of what to buy. This is a list of suggestions of what to buy. Remember that it is better to buy one quality thing than to buy many cheap things that you will never use.
1. Leather Coats and Jackets – The quality of leather outerwear is very high in Turkey and one can find glove soft leather coats for men and women. If you are going to buy a coat or jacket, the store will fix the sleeve length for you for free, but leave enough days for them to do it. A good place to start looking for these is ….. which sells very good quality leather coats. There are also leather specialty stores located all over Turkey.
2. Women’s Leather Bags – Very high quality women’s leather bags can be bought for moderate prices, especially those that do not have designer logos. Leather bags are the best because they last a long time and you can get good ones starting at 30€. Most popular resorts along the coasts have many stores selling leather bags. There are also expensive designer bags that can be found in big cities, and also in Istanbul.
3. Leather Wallets and Clutch Bags – Again one can find high quality leather wallets for men and women and clutch bags for women all over the country. Prices will depend on the quality.
4. Gloves – Glove stores in Turkey are called eldiven and Turkey is one of the few countries where one can go to a store dedicated only to gloves. The gloves are of a very high quality and there are different types of lining, such as silk and thermal, as well as unlined, all in a variety of colors for both men and women. Here are stores located in Istanbul:
5. Shoes – Leather shoes from Turkey are among one of the best in the world. The best are the hand made shoes because they use the best leather and have the best workmanship. The Turkish walk a lot, so there are many shoes stores in every city. Many of the shoes for women are very fashionable and many are sold with matching bags. One can also find many good walking shoes that can be used with more formal wear. Good shoes are comfortable from the first day you wear them. Beware of cheap shoes made in the Far East because their quality may not be good and may use imitation leather.
6. Hand Held Fans – There are many very decorative hand held fans that are inexpensively priced and these make a good buy for oneself or for family and friends. They can be put in glass frames and used for decoration in houses. European women still use fans during summer to beat the heat. Many European women have a wide variety of fans to match the color of their outfits. The best are those that are hand painted on both faces. Most fans are decorated with flower designs. Many are made by prominent artists, but these cost more.
7. Saffron – Turkey is one of the major saffron producers in the world and the plant is grown in Safranbolu. It is more expensive than gold by weight, but a very little quantity gives a wonderful flavor to food. One can buy the spice at any market or spice store and it is sold in little plastic boxes. It costs about 20 TL for 1 grams, and the smallest container is 2 grams.
8. Turkish Music – One can buy CDs with Turkish music by great qanun players like Necati Yıldızdoğan almost everywhere that souvenirs are sold.
9. Black steel – The city of Istanbul produces black steel that is decorated with gold, silver, and copper. There are plates, boxes, knives, jewelry, and home decoration items like clocks. Many of these are true works of art. A good souvenir for friends is a pendant decorated with figures of birds and flowers, which is not expensive and occupies little space in your luggage.
10. T-shirts – Every famous futbol team in Turkey sells all sorts of T-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts and caps, with the logo of the team. These are good gifts for young people. You can also buy T-shirts with the name of the city you have been to and use this as a status symbol when you go back home, to show that you have traveled. A T-shirt from famous resorts like Hilton will have more status than others, the more exclusive the resort, the higher the status.
11. Porcelain – The porcelain is sold mainly to tourists because younger people in Turkey do not care for these products.
12. Ceramic Plates – Many cities in Turkey produce their own type of ceramic plates and many tourists like to buy these to decorate their homes. Many have very beautiful designs. You can ship them to yourself or have the store ship for you, because these are heavy and you do not want to lug them everywhere.
13. Pictorial Books About Turkey – One picture is worth a thousand words and there are pictorial books for most cities. The All Istanbul book is about Istanbul and is inexpensive, about 3 euros. Pictures are the best way to remember your trip.
14. Gold Jewelry – The gold used in jewelry in Turkey is 24, 22, 18, 14, 8 karat gold and one can find very good gold jewelry, such as earrings, pendants, and bracelets all over Turkey. A quality souvenir such as gold jewelry is something that will last a lifetime and will bring back memories every time one uses it. In small jewelry stores, you can ask for a small discount.
15. Coral Jewelry – Many women in Europe wear coral jewelry, especially when they are in native dress during cultural celebrations and fairs. Coral jewelry flatters women’s faces and goes with all skin colors. All good jewelry stores carry coral jewelry. The red-orange color is the best and most expensive.
16. Turkish Shawls – Turkish shawls are a very good souvenir and can be used during summer evenings in other parts of the world. The big ones can be used to decorate one’s piano or table. The best ones are made of silk and Bursa is famous for its production, for the hand embroidered shawls. There are less expensive shawls made of synthetics that are practical and cost less. A beige colored shawl with a discreet design can be used with most women’s outfits. European women love to wear shawls during fiestas and parties. A good Turkish shawl can be a good inheritance to leave to one’s daughters.
Whatever you wish to buy, Turkey has everything under the sun!
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