Planning a trip to Turkey and wondering how much room to leave in your suitcase for gifts and souvenirs? Or already in Turkey and wondering what to look for or what to buy? Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered with this comprehensive list of the best souvenirs and gifts to bring home from Turkey!
Whenever I travel, I love to buy special things to bring back home with me. Whether that is gifts for my loved ones or memories for myself, buying things away from my home country always feels extra special. I can’t wait to have a house to display the gorgeous souvenirs I have been collecting from around the world. I have a vision of shelves covered in unique items, surrounded by interesting paintings and wall decors, and more. I’ve already shared with you my lists for the best souvenirs and gifts to get in Peru, Nepal, and Iceland. Now here is my list for Turkey!
Table of Contents
- Turkish Rugs
- Turkish Ceramics
- Olive Oil Soap
- Turkish Bath Towels
- Blue Evil Eye
- Turkish Mosaic Lamps
- Miniature Figures and Decorations
- Turkish Cuisine: Turkish Spices, Tea, Coffee, Raki, Turkish Delight,
Baklava - Where to Shop?
- What Else to Know About Shopping in Turkey: Currency and Bargaining
Turkish Rugs
I think the best place to start this list is with one of the most famous Turkish items: the rug. Turkish carpets are those woven in the areas historically dominated by the Ottoman Empire, which had its capital in Constantinople (modern day Istanbul). They are deeply rooted in the culture of the area. This can be seen in their designs, colours, and the techniques used to make them. They are made with high quality materials, including wool, silk, and cotton.
If you want to buy one of these traditional works of art, it’s a good idea to do some research. There are a lot of Turkish carpet sellers in Turkey selling carpets with varying degrees of quality, price, and, frankly, honesty of the seller. I was never intending to buy one myself, since I don’t even own a home to put it in. Plus, a good one is a bit far out of my backpacker budget. But that said, I found them very interesting to look and learn about.
If you are looking to buy one, a great place to start for your research is this article on Forbes.com. It goes over some of the things you should be looking for, such as type of knots and density, where was the carpet made and by whom, dyes, colour, materials, pattern, the age of the carpet, and how to get a good deal. If this is your goal, I wish you good luck!
Miniature Turkish Rug Souvenirs
If, on the other hand, you are thinking Turkish rugs aren’t your thing because they are too big or too expensive, fear not as I have an alternative to you. One of the best Turkish souvenirs you can get, in my opinion, is a mini version or replica version of a Turkish rug! They are not the real thing, but they are beautiful with interesting designs, different colors, and come with affordable prices. They also come in different sizes, but I personally like the place mat size. It’s perfect to put on a coffee table or even use as a cat mat! And I’m sure the Turkish people would approve of the latter use because they truly love cats in Istanbul and the rest of Turkey.
Turkish Ceramics
Another thing you’ll see all around are beautiful ceramic tiles with intricate designs and different colors. The walls of many famous buildings, such as the Topkapi Palace, are covered in these incredible ceramic tiles. The more you wander around Turkey, the more of these you’ll see and start to associate these intricate designs with the country, thus making them some of the best things to bring back with you to remind you of your trip! And, there are so many things you can do with them afterwards. You can use them as coasters (perhaps for you Turkish tea set or Turkish coffee set), hang them on the wall like art, or if you are really ambitious, you could even get a bunch and tile your back-splash with them.
But ceramic tiles are not the only type of Turkish ceramics you can find. There are plates, bowls, and lots of artsy decorations. These make great gifts from Turkey because they are so beautiful, in some cases useful, and they don’t take up too much space. Here are some of the ones I got!
Olive Oil Soap
Olive oil soap is quite popular in Turkey and you will find it in most souvenir shops. It is also the type of soap they traditionally use in Turkish Hammams. I think it is one of the best gifts you can get because everybody uses soap! Sometimes I feel like there is a fine line between a gift being really cool and unique because it is from another country, but also not making too much sense if it is too souvenir-y, as the person doesn’t have memories from there to remember. Olive oil soap is safely on the perfect gift side of the line. I got some for my mom when I was there, and it came in this adorable container!
Turkish Bath Towels
On the note of Turkish Hammams, another great idea is a Turkish bath towel. These are typically woven cotton, quick drying and aesthetically pleasing. Plus, since the hammams are such a big part of Turkish culture, it is a great souvenir. While, just like the olive oil soap, Turkish towels get actually useful points for a gift.
Blue Evil Eye
Well, not actually the evil eye itself, but rather an eye bead, called Nazar, that protects against the Evil Eye. The Turkish evil eye refers to the curse you may receive from a malevolent glare. You will see these blue evil eye protectors all over the place in Turkey (you also might find them in Greece, Egypt, India, and parts of the Middle East). Why not grab some protection against curses, bad luck, or evil stares, just in case? They can be key chains, jewellery, yard decor or so many more possibilities. Plus, they make great gifts from Turkey because you can tell the story behind them and offer protection to a loved one.
Turkish Mosaic Lamps
Another grand decoration famous to Turkish is a mosaic lamp. These are truly so gorgeous and quite popular. Though, there is a transport issue as you want to make sure it doesn’t break on it’s journey back to your home. Perhaps the best method if you want to invest in one is to get it mailed to you by the seller.
Miniature Figures and Decorations
Personally, I love little figurines and decorations, things that remind me of a place without taking up too much space. They are perfect if you are backpacking or travelling for a long time and don’t have space for large items. I also have dreams of a future shelf filled solely with tiny items from around the world. Plus they typically have affordable prices so that’s a win. There are lots of cute ones you can get in Turkey: models of the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia, miniature hot air balloons, model trojan horse, stone dice, magnets, bookmarks, etc
Turkish Cuisine
You can never go wrong with coming home with snacks. And there are lots of awesome edible gifts from Turkey you can get! Here are a few popular choices:
Turkish Spices
Honestly, for me at least, this is not even as much about the spices themselves than it is about the experience of going to the spice bazaar. Though, if you are a big foodie you might feel more passionate about getting the actual spices, of course! I mostly just loved all the colours, smells, and the overall vibes in the spice bazaar in Istanbul. And you can get just about any spice you can think of, and many you can’t there. They sell other stuff too. Definitely worth checking out.
Tea
From herbal teas, to black tea, to the famous apple tea, Turkey is known for their teas. Often times just when you’re out shopping the shop owners will give you a complimentary tea. The apple tea is also popular post meal. Grabbing some tea is a perfect gift from Turkey. Plus you can pick up a cute tea set with Turkish tea glasses to go with it, and recreate the experience at home!
Coffee
Likewise, coffee is also popular in Turkey, but they brew it in a special way. They have a special coffee pot called a cezve and use finely ground beans and boiling water. If you’re a coffee drinker, buying a cezve and some beans is a great way to bring a piece of Turkey home with you!
Raki (Turkish Liquor)
Raki is actually the national drink of Turkey! it is made from twice-distilled grape pomace and flavored with aniseed and makes a great gift. I got this little bottle duty-free in the airport on my way home to bring to my sister!
Turkish Delight
Of course the best turkish delight in the world has to come from Turkey. I knew before going that I had to eat lots of it when I was there, with visions of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in my head. But what I didn’t know was how many different flavors and varieties there are! You definitely need a variety box of turkish delight to eat while you’re there, and another to bring home!
Baklava
Another famous regional dessert, you can’t go to Turkey without trying the baklava! I was also surprised how many types of baklava there are, particularly made with all sorts of different types of nuts.
Where to Shop for Souvenirs and Gifts from Turkey?
There are many great places to shop for souvenirs and gifts in Turkey, but especially in Istanbul. You can find plenty of local markets, local shops, bazaars, shopping malls and even grocery stores with great items. That said, depending on where you are in Turkey, the prevalence of these places will vary. Your best bets are the bazaars and local markets in Istanbul. There is so much there, you could spend hours and hours wandering around. Plus, just seeing some of the places like the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar are an experience of their own.
I held out on a lot of my shopping while I was in Istanbul because I still had more travelling to do in the country afterwards, but I kind of regretted that in the end. There were certainly stores in the other cities I went to, but because I went in off season some of them were closed in the smaller areas like Pamukkale. Istanbul had the best shopping opportunities for sure!
What Else to Know About Gift/Souvenir Shopping in Turkey: Currency and Bargaining
The currency in Turkey is the Turkish Lira. 1 USD is 36.40 Turkish Liras, 1 CAD is 25.69 Turkish Liras, and 1 pound is 46.13 Turkish Liras. Or if you want to think of it another way 100 Turkish Liras is 2.75 USD, 3.89 CAD and 2.17 pounds (at the time of this writing, check out the exchange rates on google for the latest rates!). It can be so easy to get confused and overspend when dealing with a foreign currency so to help myself out I like to round the currency when I compare it to my own in such a way that the amount I am spending is slightly less than I think. In this case, I would assume every 100 lira is equal to 4 CAD, 3 USD, or 2.5 Pounds for easy mental calculations and not spending more than I think I am.
Turkey does have a bargaining culture depending what type of store you’re in. In the bazaars, bargaining is a big part of the culture and you should try to engage with it in a playful way. It is part of the process, just don’t take it too far. Sometimes I find it so overwhelming because I want to get a good deal but I also don’t want to insult anyone. The best transaction is one where everyone comes out feeling happy with the agreed upon price. A trick I like to use is to try to buy a couple things at the same place. Let’s say I find two items I want, I’ll ask for the prices separately, then I’ll say “if I got both of these two things would you take x amount?” and offer some value less than the sum of the two prices they gave me.
I hope you enjoyed this list of souvenirs and gifts from Turkey!
Let me know if you know of any other popular turkish souvenirs I missed, or any less popular ones you found and loved! Happy shopping 🙂
