One of the fun ways to explore a foreign country is to learn about its handcrafts – both the crafts of years gone by and those still practiced in its regions today. By exploring Turkey’s handcrafts, you will learn to appreciate the cultural aspects and traditions of this fascinating country while, at the same time, becoming impressed by its relevance to modern day living. Take it from us, Turkey’s handcrafts really are intriguing and here at Oceanwide Properties Turkey we are going to give you a run down of them right here:
Historical Influences
As you can imagine, Turkey’s handcraft tradition is strongly influenced by its rich history which, in turn, introduces arts and cultural influences from many different areas around the world. This includes both western and eastern regions and which would have introduced materials such as wool, cotton, thread, ceramic, glass, wood, leather and minerals. This all makes for a colourful scene, of course, and one which is hard to walk past if you happen to come across a handcraft maker in operation. If you have been visiting while looking for a property in Turkey, then the chances are you are sure to have run in to at least one individual selling handcrafted goods. Maybe you’ve even purchased some to take home as souvenirs or gifts?
For the Home
Perhaps you have managed to find the perfect property in Turkey after all, and you’re now looking to renovate – Turkish style. Well, you’re certainly in luck! That’s because in Turkey you will find carpenters who can create beautiful cabinetry from popular timbers such as rosewood, ebony, or walnut. Then there is also beautiful, elegantTurkish marble. It’s lovely and cool for the Turkish summers and perfect for floors, walls, countertops and sinks – a number of objects and fittings in the home in fact.
Worth Collecting
Turkey’s embroideries are very special and certainly worth collecting. Not only is each region’s embroidery work idiosyncratic, but the motifs often hold special meanings for a particular area. Although today embroidery work in Turkey is no longer used to portray messages of love and war as in the past, the delicate handstitching and addition of lace is still worth collecting to display in the home.
Something Practical
Handcrafts can be beautiful, but they are practical too at times. Turkey’s weaved baskets spring handily to mind in this respect. These are handcrafted using local material and often used for carrying laundry, organising magazines and as a basket to carry produce from the market. Turkey’s basket-making skills are still very much widely practiced today – which you will no doubt discover during any trip to the country, whether in a rural village or large cosmopolitan city.
If you find all this talk of local handicrafts inspiring and are looking to holiday in Turkey or see it as a potential location for Turkey property investing project then here at Oceanwide Properties, based in Fethiye, Side, Antalya and Istanbul, we have a wide portfolio of city and village properties that we would be happy to share for your perusal.
image via www.bazaarbayar.com
