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 ER & NE & MET by hekate
So, the info I am giving could be a bit outdated. However, the fact that they still have their web-site gives me hopes that what I have to say about this place might still be valid :)
Probably you are wondering how did I get there on first place. Well, me and a friend of mine - American boy were walking around Sultanahmet area and we wanted to see the Blue Mosque.
When we were about to enter the yard a young boy approached us and offered us something like a guided tur for free. The only thing we had to do is to go to his shop afterwards, no obligation to buy - just to look around :)))
We went to the shop with the intention only to look around but after drinking a couple of glasses of apple tea and stearing at endless number of carpets and rugs my friend finally bought one.
I should say the service was really good and they were treating us extreemly nice even though we made it clear we can not afford to spend too much. The guy who showed us around the Blue Mosque even took us out for dinner :)
ER & NE & MET are specialised in seling rugs, carpets and kilims, both old and new.
There is an impressive variety of carpets from different regions but I think mostly from Anatolia. As far as remeber it was a family run business and their origin was from Anatolia although I am not quite sure because it was a long time ago.
Note:
I do not have a picture from the shop, so I borrowed one from their site. It really looked like that :)
Well, I think the price is highly negotiable and it depend on the quality and the size.
The god new is that they offer free delivery with international courriers all over the world in a week or 10 days.
What actually convinced my friend to buy the rug was the fact that he could pay with is credit card. The accept all well-known credit cards. Leave a Comment Theme: ArtAddress: Sultanahmet / 1, Kucuk Ayasofya Cad.Phone: +90 (212) 516 80 82Directions: Close to the Blue MosqueWebsite: http://www.ernemet.com/index.asp Other Contact: info@ernemet.com
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AVOID shopping for carpets in Istanbul, Izmir, Bergama, Ephesus, Ankara, or any other main tourist area!
Go to the SOURCE... smaller towns off the beaten path, where shopkeepers are truly friendly, give you an excellent price because they aren't used to tourists, and BARGAIN with them.
NOTE: GO TO the more expensive shops and get them to explain all about carpets BEFORE you go to buy one in the small locations(example, the state-run shop in Istanbul). That way, you can get a great carpet at a great price, and make a small-town shopkeeper very happy, because they tend to be the best ones you will meet in Turkey! :)
AVOID any person who advertises their shop on here... chances are it is a tourist trap, and they will jack the prices up. If you are paying $500 for a wool-on-wool, 4x7 carpet that is not very detailed, you are PAYING TOO MUCH! Use $300 as a gauge for those kinds of carpet, which is about 390 YTL now.
Go to the state-run carpet shop for information only.
$300 minimum. Leave a Comment Theme: Home Furnishing
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This is a bit different from the dozens of carpet shops that you see in the Grand Bazaar.
It is located amidst a small group of other shops selling other local crafts.
Ask for Hasan Kaya and tell him his mad friends from Malaysia sent you. Maybe he wont skin you as much as he normally would; but then again, maybe he might.
Shopping in these sorts of places is a bit like Russian Roulette but its a hell of a lot of fun and really interesting.
He doesn't have any silk carpets (which is another thing altogether) but he has a range of what appeared to be genuine local carpets from the arts and craft area east of Istanbul.
Maybe it's best to go east of Istanbul and see for yourself but i've forgotten the name of the area and the cost of going there (if you have time) may outway the benefits of buying in Istanbul.
Anyway, this guy made us so comfortable (with the inevitable dozen glasses of Turkish tea) that we bought from him and arranged a small import deal for our shop in Seremban.
Time will tell.
You will excuse my scepticism if you've travelled through Asia.
Turkish carpets are reputed to be as good or better than the more famous "Persian" (Iranian) carpets.
My personal opinion is that if you want just a small an inexpensive momento of your visit to Turkey, shop around for a few hours and try to buy a genuine hand made Turkish carpet from the eastern states.
If you have the money to indulge a few thousand Lira or US$, you should buy silk carpets of no less than 20 knots per square cm.
Factory carpets for US$30, hand made for over US$150 or 20 grade silk carpets for over US$1,500.
We bought a hand made carpet 750cm by 1050cm for US$75 after starting at US$120.
After the deal was struck he gave us a ceramic egg as a parting gife and 3 more glasses of Turkish tea. Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftAddress: Alemdar Mah Divanyolu Cad, Divan Centre No 56/16Phone: 056.3816308Directions: Sultanahmet, a few hundred metres from the Blue Mosque, a few doors from the Tugra ceramics shop and a short walk from the Diva's HotelOther Contact: kayahasan34-@hotmail.com
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I could have put this tip under Tourist Trap because in a way it was..... we were all ushered by our travel guide in this room for a "carpet show".... First though there was a whole ceremony with tea serving and drinking..... Then the carpets were rolled out , one after the other and praised to the heavens for their beauty and quality...... While one after the other of my group members sneeked away not so to be brainwashed and talked into buying a not at all needed carpet , I stayed on , really fascinated by their beauty .....And soon enough the vendors or salespeople spotted me as a possible "victim" and started to work on me.... but they didn't have to talk me into buying very much because I had decided allready that I would buy one and I knew exactly which..... Nevertheless they "got me" by talking me into buying two offering a big discount and free shipping whereever.... I hesitately went for two, paid U$ 1,000 and told them my adress in Sao Paulo..... The second U$ 1,000 were to be paid upon arrival of the merchandise which happened like 6 weeks later.... The last photo shows me happy and exhausted after all the bargaining... Touristtrappy but I didn't feel cheated , the decision was mine after all and I love my carpets which are my joy and pride untill today.... I think one psychological factor to buy was that I told myself the whole trip was so incredibly cheap anyway, so why not buy one of these beauties.....?
Carpets....... I'm sorry not to be able to say what kind of carpets these were and from where they came but for me it was like a once in a lifetime experience.... I got certificates of course but I have no idea where they are.....
This depends solely on your bargaining skills and also on the amount of units....
One carpet costs more than half of the amount for two.........
Mine are beautifully mild colored , about 2,5 m x 4,5 m and I paid U$1,000 each.... Theme: Local CraftDirections: Near the Main Bazaar
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If you are going to think about buying Turkish rugs, even if your interest is minimal, I'd recommend you stopping in at your local Turkish rug shop and get a little idea of the cost and quality of rugs. You could end up with a better deal at home if you don't know what you're looking at when in Turkey.
You might go to Frommers website and look at their suggestions for carpets, too. Don't forget your VAT (tax) refund when you leave the country. It's 15% For Americans, that will help defray the $100 entry visa you had to pay to get into the country. See my site for shopping at my Istanbul travel pages. Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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We were invited (read: lured) to Turga on our way to check out the Arasta Bazaar by a very nice and friendly man, Mehmet. I think I'll save the details for a travelogue. But rest assured if you want to ensure that what you are spending big bucks for are high quality, hand-crafted Turkish rugs then do yourself a favor and at least stop in and talk to Yusef Hurma, the president and owner of Turga. He will explain, over a never-ending service of hot tea, the differences in carpet construction materials, regional variations, historical significance, etc. And unless you're already well-versed in Turkish rug variations, you are likely to see many types of designs that you don't see in shops in the U.S. He definitely understands and caters to customers who don't want to see or purchase the same type of rugs one can get at home, although he has rugs along the more familiar designs as well.
Yusef gave us a great deal on three carpets and threw in free shipping because he routinely ships in bulk to the U.S. He speaks perfect English and makes a trip to the U.S. once or twice a year to meet privately with past clients and potential new ones that his current clients refer to him.
Buyer's Confidence: There were a couple of times within the Grand Bazaar in speaking with shopkeepers that our carpet purchases became a topic of conversation. When asked where we bought them from and what we paid, the shopkeepers in each case nodded their heads and agreed that Yusef only deals with high quality goods and that we had paid a more than fair price. Can't beat that!
High quality Turkish carpets and kilims
Varies but be sure to bargain hard! Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftAddress: Mimar Mehmetaga Caddesi 17Phone: 212.518.62.01Directions: A couple of doors down on the left as you walk down Mimar Mehmetaga Caddesi away from the Blue Mosque and Torun Sokak.Website: www.tugraistanbul.com
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 Carpets by ophiro
You will find good capret stores in the Grand bazaar and on other places.
If you want to buy a carpet be prepared for a long sit and watch for many carpets until you will find the one that you like.
The sellers will be happy to answer your questions and explain about the carpets.
Carpets
The carpets can be small or very big , very old or new ones. Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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 Carpet seller by PierreZA
It is difficult to say what a good price would be - rather decide what the specific carpet is worth for you, and what you would pay for such a carpet. Theme: Local CraftAddress: Several shops in the town
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 by mardaskaLeave a Comment Theme: OtherAddress: Kapalicarsi Takkeciler Sokak No: 58-60Phone: 0212 5276841-5272322Directions: Inside the Grand BazaarWebsite: www.meharug.com Other Contact: Fax: 0212 5127981
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 Grand Bazaar by kedi+
Carpets and kilims I suggest.. They are hand made and each of them has its own story.. And they are UNIQUE!!
It depends on how humble ur carpet.. 8) Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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