Three Affordable Gift Destinations that Capture Istanbul

As a yabancı, I can almost guarantee that at some point you’ve reached an impasse of what passes as an interesting, unique, won’t break the bank gift that is truly representative of Turkey.

Whether you’re leaving on a jet plane home and want to surprise your special someone(s) with a touching token or you have visitors that want a keepsake from their trip to our lovely city, these are some true and tried Istanbul gifts which will bring heaps of smiles and hugs your way.

Mama didn’t raise a tacky tourist souvenir buying fool so here are some suggestions on the art of gift giving from Istanbul.

I discovered Yuka Studio early on in my Beşiktaş residence, but spent the next year gawking as a window shopper, afraid to enter because I feared prices would be synonymous with the Akaretler area. When I did finally enter, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the jewelry was reasonably priced and affordable.

There also happens to be a special Istanbul collection dedicated to the symbols and heirlooms of our beloved city.

Güliz Mustafaoğlu, the designer behind Yuka, says that she tried to design a collection that showed off Istanbul in a stylish way. Her showroom reveals her sweet point as a designer, and that is geometric designs. Typically, each collection she works on has 15-20 pieces, but her “Geometry” collection features an extensive range of 45 pieces. Güliz has been creating jewelry since 2009, and dedicated herself full-time to her craft in 2009. The showroom in Maçka came in 2013.

“I like it when people find themselves in my designs, it brings me joy when people enjoy the same style as me.” says Güliz.

Speaking with Güliz in her showroom, it’s easy to understand that she is kind, down to earth, and that she loves what she does, which makes it that much sweeter to know that her creations come from a place of creative love.

Overall, the collections are fresh, modern and on trend. The studio is on Maçka Meydanı Sokak (No: 18/A), but if you’re a little too far for a visit, then you can find the pieces online and at the Etsy shop which ships internationally. You can also follow them on Instagram.

My second pick is Pera Soaps, which is surprisingly located in Galata, and I say surprisingly, because I wouldn’t expect quality and reasonably priced gifts in a highly trafficked tourist area. Pera is the place to go, if you or your visitors are looking for a one stop shop for a heap of gifts and a range of friends. They have cutely packaged gifts for the “hammam experience” or simply, for those looking to enjoy them outside of the Turkish bath, in the form of a cute towel and soap, suitable for anyone that enjoys squeaky clean living.

Pera gets me excited because you can find towels in any material, size and color imaginable. My uber fashionable friend and his boyfriend instilled some chicness my way by showing me that the super light “towels” make beautiful scarves at a fraction, seriously fraction of what a trendy scarf would cost you.

I on the hand, love the heavier weaved ones as a substitute for tapestries, picnic and beach accessories and even cozy couch blankets that are ever so suitable for a cat nap. The added bonus is that they are fast drying — I mean like red wine proof, spill and dry wipe and no stain remains. Shock and awe, ladies and gentlemen, this is your go to gift.

If you need further convincing that the Turkish Hammam towel is the ultimate gift, they also look super good as a beach cover up, class up a dinner table and are mega light/portable. Pera Soaps also sells bath robes if you’re into that sorta luxury after a bath experience, and they even make them in babies/kids/tiny people sizes in bright colors that would make your niece/nephew the cutest bath time kid back home. There is a linen and bamboo collection which is simply divine. I can easily spend an hour in this shop trying to pick between colors, patterns and material and as in true Turkish style, the staff will offer tea in the process.

They also have a soap collection that comes in a variety of underrated scents like sandalwood, sulfurous, juniper, and other natural goodies. Prices vary according to material, but on average a Turkish Peshtemal towel will run you about 30 lira and a natural soap will be under 10. Money well spent to impress friends back home with your classiness. It’s wedged in between Catch, a fast fashion boutique, and Kamer. Keep an eye out for Pera, on the left hand side of the street coming from Istiklal. They don’t have a website, but I dutifully pinned their address for Yabangee readers/shoppers.

So far we’ve covered pretty gifts in the form of jewelry, and towels, the third one on our list is hand crafted home goods that are truly one of a kind.

What’s a sure fire way that you’ll remain in your loved one’s minds after you’ve left home? By becoming a part of their morning ritual, Sule designs stunning ceramic cups that would be excellently paired with some local crafted Turk kahve brew. When you’re drinking out of such a magnificent piece, the coffee tastes stronger, the birds sing louder and the day seems like it’s off to a brighter start.

Sule Celebi Yildirim, the designer behind Atolye Mano, is inspired by the time she spends in the kitchen doing what she loves, cooking.

“I like to spent time in my kitchen. I make things that I need and want to use in my kitchen.” says Sule.

Each item that she designs is fully functional to make our lives easier. Her designs start out in a sketchbook, then make their way to clay, kiln, glaze and once more to kiln. Sule is a designer that is open to inspiration from every direction, often finding materials from a variety of places, in Turkey and abroad. Collections vary according to season but her range is astonishing. Designs come in a variety of animals, plants, bikes, holidays, inspirational messages, patterns, and my absolute favorite, lace inspired designs that are modeled after real material.

Have a visit from mom coming up, take her to the atolye in Arnavutköy and carefully poke around to see some exquisite designs on plates, bowls, and cups. Just be mindful to carefully package gifts for abroad.

I routinely lust after the domestic goods on Instagram, and dream of the far off future where my kitchen goods are worthy of admiration. Until then, I can recommend them as thoughtful wedding gifts. She also offers art/ceramic lessons, the details of which can be discussed with her.

Featured image courtesy of Yuka Studio.