Istanbul_ The Collected Traveler_ An Inspired Companion Guide - Barrie Kerper [220]
Serhat Geridönmez (Cevahir Bedesteni Şerif Sokak 69 / +90 212 519 8017 / serhatgeridonmez.com). Like other Grand Bazaar jewelers, Geridönmez began as an apprentice (in 1988), but unlike other jewelers, he is creating necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, and brooches that are unparalleled. Since 2002, he’s been on his own, working with twenty-four-karat gold and semi-valuable coins and rare gemstones. Prices for his one-of-a-kind pieces range from $100 to $25,000, and Geridönmez is not inclined to bargain, or at least not in the traditional way. He doesn’t have to, as demand for his work is high, and as some pieces are “onlies”—meaning that he will make only one—he knows he will sell them, at a price that reflects the value of his materials. I am still dreaming about a bracelet he made that had my name all over it, and of course no other bracelet I’ve seen since will do.
Şişko Osman (Kapalıçarşı Zincirli Han 15 / +90 212 528 3548 / siskoosman.com). For top-quality rugs and kilims, old and new, you can’t beat Şişko Osman. That’s not to say there aren’t other places to buy quality rugs in Istanbul, but Şişko has a fine reputation as one of the best dealers in the bazaar. The business has been in the family for five generations, since 1894, and even if you have no interest in buying a weaving, come to the shop anyway just to look and learn—and to see one of the bazaar’s original hans.
And in the vicinity of the Grand Bazaar:
Hereke Halı (Nuruosmaniye Caddesi 57 / +90 212 513 6474 / herekecarpet.com). This large shop is well known, reputable, and recommended for people who are looking for a quality piece but not necessarily a rare or very antique one. The word hereke refers to a highly prized carpet, especially one of pure silk. Hereke carpets were exclusively made for sultans, palaces, and mosques, and were often given as gifts from sultans to kings, emperors, and other rulers. The staff here consider the purchase of a rug to be an investment, and therefore they do not believe in rushing anyone into a decision. The main street-level room displays some very large carpets, and it’s in the comfortable downstairs room that the staff rolls out their inventory of kilims, pile, wool, cotton, silk, and wool-on-cotton rugs, which also come in a huge range of sizes. Visitors are invited to schedule an appointment in advance of their arrival in Istanbul, and the staff will arrange for transportation to the store, free of charge (reservation@herekecarpet.com). And unlike the shops in the Grand Bazaar, which are closed on Sunday, Hereke is open seven days a week.
Sevan Biçakçi (Gazi Sinanpaşa Sokak 16, Nuruosmaniye / +90 212 520 4516 / sevanbicakci.com). Though this thirty-something jewelry designer’s baubles are inspired by Ottoman and Byzantine designs, Sevan’s creations are far more elaborate. They’re outrageous, actually, meant to make a statement. In an interview with a writer from The Dallas Morning News, Sevan said, “Where I am from, rings are the mirrors of the personality of the wearer. They tell all about the wearer.” Though he no longer works alone, he creates only four hundred pieces a year. Each ring can take months, or longer, to complete, and some include tiny pieces of materials numbering in the hundreds and thousands. Such craftsmanship comes at a very steep price, but it doesn’t cost anything to look. By appointment only. (A limited number of Sevan’s designs are sold at Barneys New York stores / barneys.com.)
H
Hanım
The equivalent of Ms., but used after a woman’s first name, as in Zeynep Hanım (Ms. Zeynep).
Harem
Lesley Blanch, in The Wilder Shores of Love, provides an easy-to-remember explanation of this useful word: “The word ‘harem’ derives from the Arabic haram, forbidden, unlawful. A certain area of land centered round the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina was