12. The Turkish Evil Eye.

I want to write about one of the most popular symbols I've seen here in Istanbul, if for no other reason than so everyone who receives one from me at Christmas (or various other gift-gifting occasions) knows a little about its background.

The evil eye bead, or nazar boncuğu (nah-ZAHR bohn-ju-u), is very popular in Turkey. You're aware of them pretty quickly because you see them everywhere! It's used as a form of fighting fire with fire, an eye for an evil eye. Usually wrongly translated into English as the evil eye itself, it's actually a "benevolent eye" fending off the evil one. Its purpose is to reflect the dark powers of an envious glance.

The amulet is typically round and made of glass fashioned with blue and white concentric circles made to look like a wide open eye. Although, I have seen plenty that are funky, cool, artisan, and just plain weird. The color blue is believed to ward off bad luck--which is why blue front doors are common in the Greek Isles for example, and why haint blue ceilings are popular on southern U.S. porch ceilings. 

While traditionally round, blue and white, evil eyes really do come in all shapes, sizes, and colors and decorated on everything imaginable: pendants, earrings, key chains, wall hangings, pins, shot glasses, tee-shirts, and so on and so forth. Sometimes the amulets are worked into the foundations of new buildings. Most homes and shops have one displayed somewhere. And while you'd think these powers are just a figment for grandmothers, the hubster has seen them hanging at manly-man construction sites. Also, I've read that many Turks may shrug it off with a smile, but there aren't too many baby cribs that don't have one of the protective blue eyes displayed. Mothers might even attach a small bead on a safety pin to a child’s clothing. Why take chances?

I learned that the best beads are made by artisans following a longstanding tradition of glassmaking in the Middle East. Arabs brought the practice to Izmir on the Aegean coast in the 19th century and brought back the popularity of a practice that once flourished in Anatolia (the central high plain of modern Turkey). There's some tussling about who makes the most authentic beads with those claiming theirs are more "real" adding a touch of yellow to the eye--using an oxide in the glassmaking process that remains a sort of secret recipe.

You can purchase these trinkets in most tourist shops, at street side vendors, and in the Grand Bazaar you can find whole shops dedicated solely to the nazar boncuğu. Just beware that tradition dictates you do not buy one for yourself. They must be a gift to work their magic! Therefore, Niks bought me my little amulet when she was here. It's sweet and simple and looks very much like this:

Safe to say, if you're someone I give gifts to--chances are you'll be seeing one of these crop up in your future. A little benevolence for those we love is a good thing! xx