As an avid traveler, one of my favorite parts of visiting a new country is bringing home unique souvenirs. Souvenirs allow me to relive my travels and share a piece of the places I’ve been with loved ones. Of all the countries I’ve visited, Turkey remains one of my favorites for souvenir shopping. From textiles and jewelry to spices and sweets, Turkey offers an abundance of memorable take-home gifts.
In this article, I’ll share my top picks for traditional Turkish souvenirs to look for during your travels. I’ll explain what makes each item special, where to find them, and provide tips on getting the best deals. Whether you’re seeking edible treats, decorative wares, or something more practical, you’re sure to discover amazing Turkish treasures to bring home
Best Edible Souvenirs from Turkey
For food lovers Turkish markets overflow with edible delights that make tasty souvenirs. Here are some authentic flavors to savor and share
Spices
Turkish cuisine is renowned for its fragrant spices like sumac Aleppo pepper and cinnamon. Spices are inexpensive, pack up small, and last a long time, making ideal gifts. Purchase yours at Istanbul’s legendary Spice Bazaar for the best quality and prices.
Turkish Tea
Strong black tea is a staple of Turkish culture. Savor authentic Turkish tea at home by bringing back loose tea leaves and petite tulip-shaped glasses. The rich aroma and taste will transport your tea time.
Turkish Coffee
Coffee holds an esteemed place in Turkish tradition. Pick up a bag of fine aromatic coffee grounds and a copper cezve pot for brewing. Combine with a set of tiny cups for recreating the iconic Turkish coffee ceremony.
Lokum (Turkish Delight)
With its soft, chewy texture and sweet rosewater flavor, lokum is a cherished Turkish confection. Avoid pre-boxed mixes and instead choose fresh, artisanal lokum sold in shops. Pistachio and double roasted walnut are favorite flavors.
Baklava
This buttery, syrupy pastry layered with nuts epitomizes Turkish sweets. Baklava comes in all sizes and shapes, with diamond or rolled varieties. Try different fillings like walnut, pistachio, or mixed nut.
Dried Fruits
Stock up on high-quality dried fruits like juicy apricots, figs, and raisins to recreate Turkish flavors in your baking. Their concentrated sweetness makes great snacks too.
Nuts
Roasted almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and more are freshly sold in bulk. Nuts are integral ingredients in Turkish cuisine, ideal to use in your own cooking or enjoy on their own.
Fruit Preserves
Transport the ripe bounty of Turkish orchards home with jars of preserves like sour cherry, quince, and apricot. Their intense fruity flavor livens up breakfasts, desserts, and cheese boards.
Best Turkish Textiles & Home Decor Souvenirs
For those seeking decorative wares, Turkey’s vibrant artistic traditions shine through in these special finds:
Handwoven Kilims
These flat-stitched Turkish rugs feature elaborate tribal motifs and patterns. Traditional yet versatile, kilims come in array of sizes to use as wall hangings, table runners, or floor coverings.
Ceramics
Intricately painted plates, bowls, and tiles showcase Turkey’s ceramic mastery. Classic blue and white patterns as well as vibrant floral motifs are iconic Turkish designs found on quality ceramic pieces.
Copperware
From gleaming pots to engraved trays and lanterns, copperware has an enduring place in Turkish homes. This versatile metal lends well to cooking, decor, and lighting fixtures.
Hammam Textiles
Bring the spa home with lightweight Turkish towels, robes, and slippers made of soft organic cotton. Their quick-drying and ultra-absorbent qualities make them ideal for bath and travel.
Evil Eye Charms
The blue evil eye bead dotted with white and black is a ubiquitous symbol in Turkey. Display its protective powers using pendants, wall hangings, car charms and more.
Macrame
This bohemian recycled cotton wall art has deep roots in Turkey’s nomadic cultures. The handmade textiles come in endless patterns like wall hangings, plant holders, and ornate dreamcatchers.
Ottoman Clocks
For a touch of Turkish regalia, shop for decorative metal clocks inspired by elaborate timepieces of the Ottoman empire. Intricate engravings and mother of pearl details distinguish quality pieces.
Best Turkish Jewelry & Accessories
From shimmering gems to elegantly crafted adornments, Turkish markets are brimming with beautiful accessories to take home. Some top picks include:
Sterling Silver Jewelry
Turkey’s fine silverwork shines through in handcrafted rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces. Often engraved with ornate details, high-quality 925 sterling silver is marked for authenticity.
Evil Eye Jewelry
Find evil eye beads worked into diverse jewelry pieces from delicate golden pendants to chunky blue bracelets. Jewelry with this protective symbol makes thoughtful gifts.
Meerschaum Pipes
While not for everyone, ornately carved meerschaum pipes display exquisite Turkish artistry. These intricately detailed smoking pipes come in many shapes like animals, skulls, or mythological figures.
Leather Goods
Buttery soft leather fashioned into jackets, handbags, and wallets showcases Turkish leathercraft at its finest. For the best quality, have pieces stamped for authenticity.
Gemstone Jewelry
Turkey is renowned for stunning semiprecious stones from turquoise to onyx. Set in gold or silver, colorful gemstone rings, earrings, and pendants capture Turkey’s natural beauty.
Tips for Buying the Best Souvenirs in Turkey
To help you secure top-quality Turkish keepsakes, here are my insider tips:
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Shop at specialty stores for each type of item like spice shops, ceramic stores, or jewelry boutiques to get authentic goods by knowledgeable sellers.
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Check if an item comes with a seal of authenticity or certificate, especially for rugs, textiles, and jewelry. This ensures the quality is genuine.
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In markets, don’t hesitate to politely negotiate, a common practice in Turkey. But know when to walk away if the price doesn’t match the value.
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Ask locals for hidden gem shops and their recommendations on where to buy certain souvenirs for the best deals and quality.
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If possible, avoid buying souvenirs pre-packaged as “gifts” since these tend to be lower quality goods aimed at tourists.
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Carefully transport fragile items like ceramics and spices so they arrive home in perfect condition.
Final Thoughts
A trip to Turkey offers endless options for memorable keepsakes to cherish for years to come. Taking home a piece of Turkish culture through food, textiles, accessories or decor is the ultimate way keep your travels close. Hopefully these tips help you seek out quality Turkish treasures that you’ll proudly display, use and share when you return home.
Turkish Coffee Set
Turkish coffee is served in unique cups and saucers that are often gold rimmed. Beautifully decorated cups and saucers are served on a silver tray as a sign of good hospitality in Turkish homes. Turkish coffee cups can be ceramic or copper. When buying a coffee set, it is important to ask if it can be used to drink from or if it is just for decoration. Many people sell decorative sets that may contain paints or metal alloys not approved for foodware. If you want a decorative set, handmade from copper with hand-painted detailing, go to Pasabahce on Istiklal Caddesi. Those sets will go for around 200TL. However, if you are looking for a practical set to use at home, it is best to buy it in a Turkish grocery store, such as Migros. There you can get a lovely set for around 15TL. Migros is a high-end grocery chain with 173 stores in Istanbul alone. There is a small Migros, located one block north of the Galata Tower, and a larger one, located inside the MetroCity shopping centre in Levent on the subway line from Taksim. They are open 7 days a week from 10am to 10pm and their website (available only in Turkish) is www.migros.com.tr. Pasabhace is another high-end Turkish store specializing in glass tableware. They are known as the father of Turkish glassware. Nowadays, their product spectrum has expanded to include not only glassware, but also ceramics and art pieces containing precious and semi-precious metals. They have many outlets throughout Turkey, including one in Istiklal Caddesi near Tunel (Istiklal Caddesi 314, Tel: 212 244 0544), open Mon – Sat from 10am to 8pm and Sun 12-8pm. Their website is www.pasabahcemagazalari.com. Where to find it: Pasabhace, Istiklal Caddesi 314, Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 212 244 0544 Operation Hours: Monday-Saturday: 10am-8pm; Sunday: 12pm-8pm Migros, Tesvikiye Mh., Sakay?k Sokak 40, Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 212 247 1710 Operation Hours: Monday-Sunday: 10am-10pm Migros, Altun?zade Mh., Capitol, Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 212 247 1710 Operation Hours: Monday-Sunday: 10am-10pm Buy It on Amazon:
Everyone is familiar with Turkish Delight, known as Lokum in Turkish. There are many varieties of Turkish delight available out there, but the key advantage of getting it in Turkey is that you can sample all the different kinds from behind the counter, thus finding the flavors you enjoy most. When mixing and matching from behind the counter, prices can range from 8TL/kg for rose-flavored Turkish Delight, to 29TL/kg for the more elaborate ones with various nuts. Pismaniye, a very popular Turkish sweet largely unknown outside Turkey, is like Turkish cotton candy. Boxed sets of Lokum or Pismaniye range in price between 5TL and 10TL. One of the best places to buy a variety of Turkish sweets is Koska, a Turkish sweets store with several branches throughout the country, including two in Istiklal Caddesi near Tunel (the closest one to Galata Tower is Istiklal Caddesi 122A, phone: (0212) 244 0877). They are open 7 days a week from 9am to 11pm. Their website is www.koska.com (currently available only in Turkish, but the English version is also under construction). Where to find it: Koska, Istiklal Caddesi 122A, Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 212 513 8900, +90 212 244 0877 Operation Hours: Monday-Sunday: 9am-11pm Buy It on Amazon:
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Hand Painted Ceramic Plates
Turkish ceramics, renowned for their rich colors and elaborate designs, are available for sale in Istanbul in great variety. Originally created to imitate Chinese pottery, Iznik craftsmen in Anatolia quickly developed their own style and patterns. By the 16th century, under Suleyman the Magnificent, this style of pottery was in full swing. Turkish artisans love combining geometric patterns with carnation, roses, hyacinths and above all, tulips. Many different techniques for glazing, firing and creating colors have been discovered over the centuries, allowing for the creation of a multitude of ceramic products. Small plates start at around 20TL and the prices can rise to around 200TL for larger, more intricately painted plates. These plates are found throughout the Grand Bazaar, Sultanahmet, Spice Market and Istiklal Caddesi. An excellent shop, specializing in hand-painted ceramics, is Beyoglu El Sanatlari Evi (Istiklal Caddesi No: 180/A, Tünel, Phone: 212 293 99 90). Located near the upper Tünel entrance in Istiklal Caddesi, this family-run business is easily accessible. They are open 7 days a week from 9:30am to 9pm. Where to find it: Beyoglu El Sanatlari Evi, Istiklal Caddesi No: 180/A, Tünel, Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 212 293 99 90 Operation Hours: Monday-Sunday: 9:30am-9pm Grand Bazaar, Beyazıt Mh., Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 212 519 1248 Divan Bazaar, Cankurtaran Mh., Tevkifhane Sk 1, Istanbul, Turkey Buy It on Amazon: Offline reading and travel directions: With GPSmyCity App you can read this article offline on your mobile device, use the embedded offline city map and GPS navigation, as well as create a self-guided walk to visit the venues featured in the article.
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