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I started Deli Kizin Yeri in 1998 after my husband and I retired to Istanbul. After years of moving and shopping around the world, I wanted to open an ethnic gift shop such as I loved in other countries, but featuring Turkish textiles and motifs used in new ways. I fell in love with Turkey and its traditional arts in 1973 when we first lived here. I seem to be drawn to Turkish items no matter where in the world I am, so it seemed a logical step to focus on giving these traditional arts a new life.
My goal is to create flat, packable items so that travelers can easily fit them into their bulging suitcases. I also wanted our items to be useful after having spent many years (and dollars) on gifts that have languished in people's drawers for lack of purpose. Ninety percent of our items are made in our workshop by myself and a core staff of four (not counting store personnel). For raw materials and to supplement our products we buy needle lace (oya) from village ladies in the Tarsus Mountains, kece items from a village cooperative, and dolls from a women's group in Iznik. Although my educational background is not in textiles or art, I have been doing needlework and sewing since childhood and find that I can't just sit without doing something with my hands! Now at last I have an outlet for all those ideas and projects that have been building up! And why the name? My friends have always called
me crazy as I don't seem to follow the same road, but am always trying to
do the unlikely and impossible! Left to right: Yasemin, hand sewer, cutter, and seamstress; Hamiyet, seamstress; Nigar, beader, hand sewer, and accountant; Burhan, director and jack of all trades, including designing and production |
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Send mail to
linda@delikiz.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
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