Turkish carpets First in general, what is it we call a carpet? In Turkey we differentiate between the knotted carpet, which is called HALI, and the woven carpet, the KILIM. Carpets are are the most well-known souvenirs you can bring home from Turkey. And even if you have had just the bad luck of being cheated, they are still a lot cheaper than in your own country. A serious seller tells you and informs you about some basic values in carpet making. The closer together and tighter the knotting, the finer, stronger and more precious the carpets beomes. The number of knots varies from 150,000 per sq. mt. to 1,000,000 per sq. mt. in the finest silk carpets.Thus, a 1,5 to 2 mt. carpets can take from 3 months to one year to complete. In the villages around Bodrum, Milas and Mumcular, rugs are still woven by hand in the traditional way. A well made carpet can last for well over a hundred of years but it should be cherished correctly as a piece of art Here are the addresses of two serious dealers: Mehmet Cengel; in the center of the town, on the entrance to the harbour; (0252) 316 1747 Preisbeispiele: Copperware In Turkey there are still hand-made copper goods, of the type, which long ago - was made by the workman at the corner. You can still watch this being done in the environment of the closed Bazars in Istanbul. In addition, in near Bodrum there is such a copper village (or Bakirköy - as one says here). The village is called Kavaklidere, and is approximatel about 100 km to the East of Bodrum near the city of Yatagan. Textiles and leather Products of the natural raw materials leather and cotton are traditionally sold in the shops of Turkey. Cotton is cultivated everywhere in Turkey, so that Turkey is in fact third biggest producer of cotton in the world. Travelling inland and passing Ephesus or Kaunos you will see many cotton fields. Pamuk is the Turkish word for cotton. The harvest is in September - October. Everything related can also be seen in the Bodrum Video
		Meerschaum pipes Carving pipes out of the natural material meerschaum has a long tradition in Turkey. Already in Ottoman times these pipes were wellknown all over the world. Originally this special skill is based in the town of Eskisehir. In Gümüslük you can also watch the art of pipe making here using the material "meerschaum" which being porous absorbes nikotine very well. Good to be seen in the Bodrum Video

Hand made sandals Skilled artisans can make you a pair of snugly fitting leather sandals in the traditional Aegean style. You will find craftsmen in the centre of Bodrum - like Ali Usta and others. You can either order or try one of the pairs they have in stock. Sandal making has a very old tradition in Bodrum. More then thirty years ago out of a native interest in Roman sandals some *shoe-makers* started the craft. Today these sandals, which can be considered as pieces of art, carrying old time history to modern people's feet.

The Boncuk There is one typical item, an equity of this region you should take home as a souvenier, it's called the Boncuk, the Little Magic Stone that protects one from the *Evil Eye* (pronounced 'bon-dschuk'), you will see this blue glass piece everywhere here in this area. But read the BONCUK Story first.

Market day in Bodrum Every Tuesday there is a cloth market and every Friday, here is a market with fruit and vegetables. Traders and farmers come to Bodrum to sell their produce. This ranges from all kinds of fruits and vegetables to imitation Rolex watches and items of clothing. good to watch as well in the video It is well worth a visit and you should try to bargain before buying anything.