Turkish Riviera: Where to Shop: Art & Antiques: Bazaar Anatolia

Bazaar Anatolia

If you anchor in lively Göcek, don’t miss this wonderful antiques and carpet shop, on the main shopping street across from the Yapi Kredi Bank. Owner Levent Sengül, who is married to a Canadian and speaks flawless English, comes from a long line of carpet dealers and still buys his treasures from family looms and artisans across the country. “My favorite type of carpets are the nomadic pieces from southeast Turkey,” he told me when I was in the store. “They are made using vegetable dyes and their dramatic geometric motifs are simple but sophisticated in their design.” One of his most prized carpets is a flat-weave kilim that is more than 100 years old and features Ottoman script. Sengül also collects and sells Ottoman silver, particularly finely crafted cigarette cases, as well as jewelry and ceramics.