10 souvenirs to buy when coming to Ankara

Ankara has a wide range of shops for you to enjoy, including modern boutiques selling well-known brands, and traditional craft and antique shops in the cobbled streets of the old part of the city. The Karum Business Center in Tunali Hilmi Avenue is one of the largest commercial centers in Turkey. The two main shopping streets, Koyunpazari and Can Sokak, and Çikrikçilar Yokusa are large, colorful open-air markets. If you're feeling energized, take the ten-minute walk uphill to Ankara Castle - it's well worth it and has the plus of having an open-air market nearby. Bargaining on prices is absolutely a must in Ankara, except in shopping malls and the most difficult traders to bargain are those at the old market.

Copper products

Traditional style local bronze can be found in many places but it's interesting to visit Bakircilar Çarşısı - copper market - which has a wide range of coffee pots, trays, water jugs etc with the chance to watch people craftsmen as they work.

Searching for antique souvenirs

There's a great place to hunt for antiques called Brass Inn, which is a large two-story arcade filled with small antique shops on each floor. In addition to being the perfect place to browse, there's also a lovely cafe in the central courtyard.

Choose a beautiful silk scarf

The top Turkish brand to look for is 'Vakko'. The scarves are made of 100% fine silk in seven rainbow colors with various traditional designs. 'Vakko' is a quality brand and also produces lovely accessories such as belts, bags and wallets, clothing and even home textiles.

Amazing products made of glass

There is a wide variety of glass items including decorations sold in the city with Ottoman-inspired designs and others with Iznik motifs. Glassware made by Paşabatiç is highly regarded. There are attractive hand-painted Beykoz bowls and plates with floral motifs embellished with gold paint. There are some particularly beautiful pieces made from hand-painted opaque glass with golden patterns and highlighted with red and green artwork. If you want something more practical, yet stylish, look for luxury coffee and tea sets

Really unique pipes

Handmade pipes are special because each one is different, elaborately carved and unique. A really good place to see the wide selection is the traditional handicrafts (GES) store, which also has many other beautiful handicrafts to buy.

Fashionable leather goods

Turkey is famous for its great leathers and you're sure to be tempted by the variety of colorful coats, dresses and pants - all at great prices. There are also plenty of stylish bags, belts, wallets and purses.

Some exotic herbs and spices

One of the best places to buy these is at the outdoor market next to the castle. They are packaged in small bags so you can easily slip them into your suitcase. Paprika - red pepper - is one of the most popular as well as sumac, which is a mixture of ground red berries.

Delicious Baklava

Everyone loves this delicious traditional pastry and when eaten straight from the bakery, it tastes even better! Baklava is made from filo pastry pieces with walnuts and rose water syrup. There are several bakeries in the city that sell it in a carefully wrapped gift box, perfect for putting in your luggage!

Gold jewelry

You will be dazzled by the glittering window displays of jewelry stores with reasonable prices. Gold in Turkey is good value and purer than usual (higher carats). Gold is available in both traditional Turkish designs and classic European favorites and changing sizes is quick and easy to ensure the perfect fit. If you find an item you like, you should bargain to get a really good price.

Hookah suction pot (type of bottle for smoking Shisha)

Traditional hookah pots are widely available in a variety of sizes and colors and are fun to decorate in your home. Having said that, the hookah pipe can perfectly be used to smoke a variety of fruity Shishas. You can visit one of the many hookah cafes to give it a try and get instructions on how the hookah pot works.