Experiences
Shopping
Support local and small-scale producers by exploring Türkiye’s rich heritage!
In the Kemaraltı Historical Bazaar you will find products from the skilled hands of İzmir that bring together the traces of the past with the texture of the present. These products sometimes take you to the past and keep the history alive and sometimes they reflect the face of modernity.
You should stop at Kızlarağası Inn, located in Halim Ağa Bazaar in Kemeraltı, which is one of the most popular inns in the city with its Ottoman-style architecture. There are shops selling ceramic, wooden and glass souvenirs, local handicrafts and evil eye beads, silver jewelry and antiques.
If you want to have a souvenir of your vacation, you can consider the evil eye bead made in İzmir. Evil eye bead, glass art with its colorful and pleasant appearance, attracts attention not only as a decorative product, but also for use from the past to the present. You may want to touch to get rid of fears, distress and negative energy.
If you find chance to visit nearby town Alaçatı, shopping in its attractive, narrow streets is an amazing experience for anyone who enjoys local artifacts and delicacies. It is impossible not to be impressed by the unique taste and diversity of the products sold in the lovely local stores. You can find artwork such as paintings and sculptures by noted artists, but also jewelry, ceramics, home textile collections, original fashion collections, regional olives and olive oils, soaps, and natural products that are specific to the region. Buying an original painting or a tea towel decorated with the town’s unique symbols, a bouquet of bougainvillea or a bundle of lavender or sage, or even tasting an incredibly delicious mastic gum pudding are enough to create life-long memories.
Not to be missed is Turkey’s longest-running outdoor market area Bergama Arasta (Ottoman Bazaar). A team which gathered on Atatürk’s order for promoting Bergama re-established this historical bazaar in 1937 and made it famous in the whole country. Bergama is one of the important centres of rug production in Türkiye, so do not miss the chance to take one to bring back to your home as well!
Manisa, is famous for the world-renowned Demirci and Gördes rugs. Anatolian women used high-quality natural materials like madder, wool and silk to weave rugs, and illustrated daily life with regional and local motifs that came to life through their creativity. Look under the bonnet and admire world-renowned Demirci and Gördes rugs. Also crafts made with felt, folkloric baby doll, folkloric jewellery, lace, copper objects and Manisa carpets and rugs would also be a memorable souvenir from Manisa.
In Denizli, a traditional weaving type unique to Buldan, Buldan cloth is a local product. Due to the unique structure of Buldan cloth and fabric, it creates an air gap between the body and the clothing and functions as heat insulation. Silk and cotton striped twisted weaving are called “Hoşgör” fabric. In Buldan and Babadağ districts and Kızılcabölük Neighborhood of Tavas district, woven fabrics, fabrics, clothes and home textile products woven with traditional methods on hand looms and colored with natural dyes have a world-renowned reputation. Although the number is decreasing today, it is possible to experience the traditional weaving examples and the weaving process that continues in traditional style houses in Buldan and Babadağ.
Kızılcabölük is one of Denizli’s oldest weaving centres in the TurkAegean Region. Traditional Turkish embroidery, such as lace, beads, silver thread and spangles, is used on the fabric of Kızılcabölük, which is traditionally woven using hoops and needles.
In Denizli, the tradition of glassmaking, which is known to have a history of 5000 years, comes to life with glass objects produced by the hand labour of glass masters and artists. Today, branded glass art products that attract attention with their modern and original designs and are products of Denizli’s developed glass industry are marketed to the whole world. Bearing the distinction of being Türkiye’s first glass festival, the Denizli Cam Biennial, is held as an important art and culture event where many domestic and international glass artists convene.
The art of ceramics, which has been a branch of art in Denizli’s Tavas, Sarayköy, Çivril and particularly Serinhisar districts since ancient times, has developed due to the red soil of the region. Ceramics, where different ceramic products such as jugs, earthenware cups, jars, pots, vases and ornaments can be made, carries the culture of ancient civilizations to the present day.
Terracotta or Terracotta art is the ancient Hittite art in which materials made entirely from soil, including its paint, were used. The most important feature of terracotta is that the ceramic used is thin and not glazed. In this art, which does not resemble glazed ceramic, completely natural dyes are used, and the painting job is quite difficult, it requires a separate mastery. The essence of terracotta art is the part of painting the soil with soil. Terracotta products of this special art can be purchased from souvenir shops in Denizli.
