 |
Üsküdar boasts lively antique bazaar
The antique bazaar in Üsküdar, home to 40 stores, has been at Kıroğlu Han in the Büyükhamam neighborhood since 1986. In fact, the antique stores are not limited to those inside the bazaar. There are many stores selling antique pieces in the vicinity of Üsküdar Square.
The shops carry a wide selection of items, from Ottoman-era tables and doors to furniture brought from Europe. Pieces that ended up in Russia and France in the old days have been brought and put on sale after undergoing repair. One of the most beautiful examples is in Zeki Antik. A mother-of-pearl inlaid coffee table with a sultan's signature found here is 200 years old. The store's owner, Mehmet Zeki Dal, purchased the table in England. He is also in charge of the bazaar.
Dal has been selling antiques for 30 years at this bazaar. He says he has around 600 antiques in his three stores and that he sells antiques he brings in from England, Belgium and Holland to other storeowners. Seeing how we were mesmerized by every piece we looked at, Dal sighed and said, “I wish people in the past had appreciated antiques as much as you do.” One of the antique dealer's main worries is a lack of interest. “It is a matter of culture. There used to be more interest in the culture of antiques, but the new generation is not very interested. This, of course, has led to a slowdown in business. Even though I don't earn much, I continue to bring pieces from abroad to ensure the survival of this culture and to bring our pieces back,” he said. Dal also said the shooting of a famous Turkish TV series, “Ezel,” had increased interest in the bazaar, though only for a short while.
 Mehmet Zeki Aydın purchased this table in England. He says the table is at least 200 years old. |
Experienced craftsman restores antiques for past 40 years
Antiques are not put on sale as soon as they are acquired. They must first shed their “wear and tear.” The restoration process is undertaken by expert antique restorers. When it comes to doing this, the first name that comes to mind in the bazaar is İbrahim Aslan. This has been his job for 40 years now. He says he grew up in the business. His work is hard; the antiques must not lose their original character in the process of restoration. What is his secret? “I remove the decayed and bad parts. Then, I apply a compound to get rid of worms. Finally, I rub the pieces with emery,” he says.
Other shop owners interested in antiques
Fahri Yorulmaz owns Asır Antik, where he sells marble bathroom and garden fixtures. He has been in the business for 25 years. Most pieces sold at his shop come from the provinces of Sivas, Kayseri, Kastamonu, Denizli and Muğla. Rıdvan Taşçıoğlu is also a storeowner fond of collecting antiques. His collection features 200-year-old Ottoman door locks and padlocks he acquired in Europe.
Antik Varak sells leaf mirrors. A restorer of antiques is seen as he works on a 120-year-old mirror.
This 150-year-old şerbetlik (sherbet stand) came from the province of Kayseri. It used to be placed in walls in the old days.
A door with mother-of-pearl inlay dating back to Ottoman times. This door was used during the filming of an episode of the famous Turkish TV series “Ezel.”
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BÜLENT KENEŞ |  |
||
| What befell Niyazi-i Misri in the past is happening to Fethullah Gülen now | |||
| EKREM DUMANLI |  |
||
| When a call for fairness and reason finds acceptance | |||
| ŞAHİN ALPAY |  |
||
| Uludere, test case for democracy in Turkey | |||
| EMRE USLU |  |
||
| Are the Kurds mentally divorced from Turkey? | |||
| GÖKHAN BACIK |  |
||
| Erdoğan, Gül and Davutoğlu: the inner bargain on Turkish foreign policy | |||
| MARKAR ESAYAN |  |
||
| Taking lessons from previous experiences with the military | |||
| YAVUZ BAYDAR |  |
||
| Qualm | |||
| ÖMER TAŞPINAR |  |
||
| A new phase in Syria? | |||
| İHSAN DAĞI |  |
||
| Turkish foreign policy: Time for a re-evaluation | |||
| SEYFETTİN GÜRSEL |  |
||
| Poor-friendly economic growth and the AK Party | |||
| CHARLOTTE MCPHERSON |  |
||
| Missing women, missing opportunities | |||
| BERK ÇEKTİR |  |
||
| Changes to incentives for investment in Turkey | |||
| MERVE BÜŞRA ÖZTÜRK |  |
||
| The 1960 coup: a final test for democracy | |||
| AMANDA PAUL |  |
||
| Ukraine: a lost country | |||
| MÜMTAZER TÜRKÖNE |  |
||
| The 52nd anniversary of May 27 | |||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
