What to bring from Turkey: from spices to antiques

Universal globalization erases the last borders. Goods that were considered local are also sold in other states. And yet the souvenirs are filled with special energy. Bought in the country in which we have just visited, they are called to remind of all the subtleties of travel. There is no point in buying a friend of a papyrus in Moscow, but it's just necessary to deliver it from Egypt, with an additional supply of road baits.

What to bring from Turkey home, that souvenirs were (or seemed) authentic?

1. Kilim

Kilim is a thin two-sided, lint - free carpet. Initially, kilims were made as mats for the daily multiple Muslim prayer, because the traditional carpet is made of coarse fiber, has a monochrome center and a geometric pattern along the perimeter. As a rule, it is painted in blue, brown, yellow or red. Such a carpet will look great under your coffee table.

2. Sweets

We are talking, of course, about oriental sweets, including lucum, baklava, sorbet, halva. Experts recommend to buy them in those market rows, where sweets "for their own" are sold by weight: this dessert is much fresh and tastier than what is packed in a box. Lukums and sorbets are the best gifts from Turkey for children.

3. Textiles

The quality of T-shirts, bathrobes and terry towels is excellent, prices are much lower than those in Russia, so you can safely take a t-shirts t-shirt, desperately bargaining. What to bring from Turkey, if you do not need clothes? Buy house linens, towels, tablecloths for the house.

• 4. Ceramics

Bright porcelain dishes with ornaments look great! Try to find a traditional flower pattern - a tulip that will remind you of Turkey.

• 5. "Lyulyatshi"

So the Turkish sellers refer to products from a white porous mineral - meershauma. In Turkey, the best quality meershaum is produced in the world. Not so long ago, the country banned the export of solid blocks of this material, thus becoming a monopolist. Therefore, a smoking pipe, chess, thimbles and figurines from the Meershaum will be an excellent, truly Turkish souvenir. The best products are labeled "Block Meerschaum", "Solid meerschaum". The rest can be a less quality pressed material. But in any case, the lyuletas are the most original answer to the question of what to bring from Turkey, because they are not bought so often.

6. Food products

This group includes a number of products: inexpensive fruit and berry teas (along with them, often sold special cups in the form of tulips, tiny saucers and spoons); Turkish coffee with spices (you can also buy a beautiful Turk with chasing); Aniseed vodka rakia; olive oil; Honey from pine buds; Jam from the petals of roses; Finally - spices (you can buy with them a hand-made melena for pepper).

7. Rare books and miniatures

Lovers of antiques do not have to guess what to bring from Turkey. They can pamper themselves with the purchase of rare books with magnificent miniatures. Ottoman masters succeeded in the art of calligraphy, they decorated the page with a spray of gold, sapphires, lapis lazuli and other precious stones. In miniatures, as a rule, scenes from the life of the Sultan and his family are depicted. The most valuable are decorated with a personal seal of the ruler - tugra.

There are still all sorts of little things like sets for a bath hammam, natural soap, magnets and mugs with views of Istanbul. We wish you a pleasant shopping experience. Do not forget to bargain!