I have a funny travel quirk: I only take a carry-on. I don’t care if I’m visiting three climates over one month—I’ll pack with the kind of strategy required of political negotiators or a game of Monopoly.
It was no different when I took a three-week trip to Turkey, traversing rural towns and hiking mountains while trying to look relatively chic in Istanbul, leaving absolutely no extra room in my teeny case for souvenirs. To be honest, I wasn’t so keen on bringing back a bunch of evil-eye keychains anyway. Even after hearing stories of jewelry and rugs, I was resolved not to break under the pressure of beautiful textiles.
From this, I learned that I am weak. I eventually bought a large suitcase … to carry everything home. In an altruistic attempt to prepare you for inevitable buckling, here is a list of the shopping dangers that await you the next time you visit Turkey.
rugs: One MUST buy a rug when in Turkey. For me, the crumbling occured when I entered the beautiful shops filled with carpets of brightly coloured patterns and textures, stacked waist-high around me. The moment the vendor offered me tea and asked me, “Which one do you like?” I couldn’t lie. I just had to pick one.
jewelry: For the most part I stayed away from opening Pandora’s jewelry box. But, if extravagant, rough-cut emeralds and rubies or luminescent gold tempt you, consider yourself warned.
copperware & antique silverware: I made a slight detour to a small city named Urfa in the southeast, where tourists rarely travel. There: an alley of copper artisans, one heating the metal, another hammering it into beautiful cooking vessels and another tinning the interiors. This copper is thick and heavy, like the coveted French brands (but a tenth of the price). Nearby: stacks of antique silverware dating back to the Ottoman Empire, intricate patterns hammered into cups and bowls.
leather: Since Turkey is an exporter of fine leather to luxury brands, beautiful handbags and jackets can be found at almost every market. And the imitation goods are oddly exceptional: I was surprisingly impressed with the Celine bags, and who knows, if you ever see me toting a convincing Birkin, it’ll be our secret.
towels & textiles: I’ve had a mild obsession with rustic, raw-cotton Turkish towels since I found them at a Brooklyn flea market last year. I bought four of them in summery pastels, and couldn’t quite understand why my Turkish best friend wasn’t as impressed with them as I was. Well, in Turkey, they’re everywhere! Think floor-to-ceiling towels, blankets, scarves and textiles covering every surface of a store in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, each uniquely beautiful. If you’re in need new linens, don’t even try to fight the urge.
food & spices: This was my ultimate weakness: barrels of beautiful spices, teas, the highest-quality nuts with impossible fragrances … I was doomed! Cardamom so pungent and nutmeg so fresh, they tingle your nose when you inhale. Dozens of chilies, roasted and smoked to varying levels, halva, honeycomb, candied chestnuts, rose petals. I could go on—and I did, until my suitcase was full. —Jackie Kai Ellis is owner of Beaucoup Bakery and The Paris Tours. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @JackieKaiEllis
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