Musalla mah. 1016 sok. 2/20
Çeşme Marina – İzmir / Türkiye
Imagine a place where all products, each with a unique story, are crafted by women and where every story told belongs to Anatolia. It’s a creative space that harnesses the power of design to produce in harmony, responding to the needs of our time without losing traditional craftsmanship and values. This isn’t just a shop focused on sales and marketing; it’s a space that prioritizes creating value from the beginning, including local women cooperatives from the production and design process, working on promoting collective creation and new innovations. Inside the store, you’ll find wheat stem bags, Erzurum scarves, beadwork bags from Sinop Prison, and knitwear made by women in Antakya.
In our quest for genuine sustainability, we use recyclable and natural materials for packaging, steering clear of plastic use. Our collection includes garments made from scrap fabric, redesigned banana fiber sandals, and vintage kilims. We also offer Ottoman storage chests, inviting you to rediscover the past. With an 80% female team, we respect and celebrate women’s labor. Our restaurant menu features products sourced from local cooperatives and geographical indications, with only regional coffee varieties served. We raise olive and laurel trees in our garden area, display artworks by Anatolian artists, and feature live music performances. We are committed to continually updating and welcoming all local brands and designers inspired by Anatolia. We envision a meeting place where we can reconnect with our true selves and unite in our intentions and strength to awaken our hearts through Anatolia.
Let’s meet in this dream…
Store details
Opening times
Monday : 10:00am – 01:00am
Tuesday : 10:00am – 01:00am
Wednesday : 10:00am – 01:00am
Thursday : 10:00am – 01:00am
Friday : 10:00am – 01:00am
Saturday : 10:00am – 01:00am
Sunday : 10:00am – 01:00am
TRADITIONAL ANATOLIAN CRAFTMANSHIP ITEMS AVAILABLE IN STORE
Sinop Prison Beadworks
According to the research, beadwork is the most preferred handicraft technique among the 15 handicrafts taught in the Prisoner’s Workshops. Beadwork knitting techniques, primarily taught for producing uppers on shoes, are also used by convicts to produce various souvenirs such as rearview mirror ornaments, key chains, pen holders, and wallets.
The shaping method known as “double knitting” or “blind knitting,” one of the crochet techniques, “simple loop” or, in other words, “frequent loop” technique, is applied. The prison knitting technique, known and used in prisons since the 1900s, is a cultural heritage considered traditional handicrafts. The sustainability of the tradition and the transfer of this traditional knowledge have decreased since prison beadworks are low in demand.
This handicraft, which enables female prisoners and convicts to earn additional income in prison, makes leisure time productive and brings rehabilitation opportunities. The convicts stated, “When knitting, they find peace, they feel useful, and the extra income help meet some of their minor needs.”
They also stated that “it helps them to forget their loneliness as they share time in the workshop area with other convicts, enjoying friendship and solidarity, and the day passes much more quickly while they work.” Designed entirely by the detainees, beadworks have written messages of love and longing, such as ‘my dear girl in Turkish, as a means to send a message to their loved ones.
Sekiz Köşe (Eight Pointed Hat) : Gakkoş Cap
Sekiz Köşe (Eight-Pointed Hat) is a cultural heritage hat from the Elazığ region. Each corner of the hat conveys a different meaning: reliable, courage, diligence, generosity, honesty, hospitality, modesty, and righteousness. The person wearing the cap is expected to embody all of these qualities. Another name for the hat, “Gakkoş Hat,” is derived from the regional word “Gakgoş,” widely used in the daily life of Elazığ people, meaning brotherhood.
It is believed that the eight-pointed hat, known as the “Sekiz Köşe,” derives from the motif of the eight-pointed star, also known as the Seljuk Star. This legend can be supported by the fact that Elazığ, the remaining city of the 4,000-year-old town of Harput, was once ruled by the Anatolian Seljuk Empire and that each corner of the Seljuk Star carries eight meanings: mercy, compassion, patience, honesty, confidentiality, loyalty, generosity, and gratitude.
These delicate hats are entirely handmade, and today there are only four master artisans remain who continue producing the Sekiz Köşe hats in Elazığ. Nevzat Yentür, who has been in this profession for 60 years, made these hats using the leftover fabrics of Aslı Filinta. It takes approximately 3 hours to produce a single cap. Sekiz Köşe hats hold a significant cultural value passed down through generations as a part of the local heritage.
Sekiz Köşe (Eight Pointed Hat): Gakkoş Cap
Sekiz Köşe (Eight-Pointed Hat) is a cultural heritage hat from the Elazığ region. Each corner of the hat conveys a different meaning: reliable, courage, diligence, generosity, honesty, hospitality, modesty, and righteousness. The person wearing the cap is expected to embody all of these qualities. Another name for the hat, “Gakkoş Hat,” is derived from the regional word “Gakgoş,” widely used in the daily life of Elazığ people, meaning brotherhood.
It is believed that the eight-pointed hat, known as the “Sekiz Köşe,” derives from the motif of the eight-pointed star, also known as the Seljuk Star. This legend can be supported by the fact that Elazığ, the remaining city of the 4,000-year-old town of Harput, was once ruled by the Anatolian Seljuk Empire and that each corner of the Seljuk Star carries eight meanings: mercy, compassion, patience, honesty, confidentiality, loyalty, generosity, and gratitude.
These delicate hats are entirely handmade, and today there are only four master artisans remain who continue producing the Sekiz Köşe hats in Elazığ. Nevzat Yentür, who has been in this profession for 60 years, made these hats using the leftover fabrics of Aslı Filinta. It takes approximately 3 hours to produce a single cap. Sekiz Köşe hats hold a significant cultural value passed down through generations as a part of the local heritage.
Ehram
Ehram is a traditional handcrafted woven fabric produced and used mainly in the Eastern Anatolian regions like Erzurum, Erzincan, Bayburt, and Artvin. Made from Hand-spun raw wool, ehram is woven on custom-made looms through flat weaving, mainly by local women. This local garment, which women drape around themselves as a single piece, has been used since the 1850s. Natural materials, non-chemical raw processing, and flat weaving by local women are the main reasons for the product’s great value.
Ehram’s primary material is wool, sheared from local six/seven-month-old sheep. The wool is then dried using natural methods, combed, and twisted into weaving threads. The local community believes that the strands of this wool are long and will not shrink in the rain. The value of ehram comes from the delicacy of its thread, and it is made with natural colors of wool such as brown, black, and cream. Colorful lines are added as embroidery on ehram during or after weaving. Thanks to its natural wool structure, ehram provides warmth during winter and cool during the summer.
Ehram holds a cultural identity for the women of the region and is used in different colors by women based on their marital status and age. Women who have lost their spouses wear black ehram, while newlywed women wear white. Women with young children wear light brown ehram, and middle-aged and older mothers prefer purple colors.
Cimem Bags: Wheat Knitting Bags
Sini knitting, locally known as ‘Cimem,’ is a traditional plant-based weaving technique from Anatolia, dating back to the early days of the Turkish Republic. Originating in the Altınözü district of Hatay, Cimem products are crafted by braiding wheat stalks. They are commonly used in kitchens as trivets, bread bowls, fruit bowls, snack bowls, or decorative items.
Cimems are made using wrapping and binding techniques, often colored with natural root dyes, and can be assembled into various motifs. This intricate craft demands significant manual labor and relies on increasingly scarce raw materials, such as wheat, rye straw, raffia, and reeds.In the Antakya region, Cimem make-up baskets are highly valued as part of the dowry tradition for new brides. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, this unique craft is now endangered, with only two women remaining in the Hatay region who can pass on the knitting technique.
In collaboration with Aslı Filinta X SkinCeuticals, 4,000 bags were produced, utilizing approximately 7 tons of recycled wheat. This initiative, in collaboration with Hazek Kadın Kooperatifi, provided income for 210 women.
Cimem Bags: Wheat Knitting Bags
Sini knitting, locally known as ‘Cimem,’ is a traditional plant-based weaving technique from Anatolia, dating back to the early days of the Turkish Republic. Originating in the Altınözü district of Hatay, Cimem products are crafted by braiding wheat stalks. They are commonly used in kitchens as trivets, bread bowls, fruit bowls, snack bowls, or decorative items.
Cimems are made using wrapping and binding techniques, often colored with natural root dyes, and can be assembled into various motifs. This intricate craft demands significant manual labor and relies on increasingly scarce raw materials, such as wheat, rye straw, raffia, and reeds.In the Antakya region, Cimem make-up baskets are highly valued as part of the dowry tradition for new brides. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, this unique craft is now endangered, with only two women remaining in the Hatay region who can pass on the knitting technique.
In collaboration with Aslı Filinta X SkinCeuticals, 4,000 bags were produced, utilizing approximately 7 tons of recycled wheat. This initiative, in collaboration with Hazek Kadın Kooperatifi, provided income for 210 women.