Turkish Color

I really admire the Turkish use of saturated blues. These are colors that I have always avoided in my decor because any attempt to use them has met with dismal failure. I've done a dark blue room only to find it looked childish, like a box of crayons. I was unable to accessorize the room properly. It just seemed nothing matched.

The Turks manage to use blue with a sophistication I envy and blue is a color that shows up in nearly every household because of it's prominence in traditional tile design, as well as the prolific use of a symbol called the Nazar, or Evil Eye. The Nazar is meant to ward off envious thoughts of others which might damage you, your family, or your property. Please don't let this description of the Nazar make you think the Turks are backwards or uneducated. I know a university professor and a civil engineer who insist on having a Nazar in their cars, and keep telling me I need to wear one.

In Turkey, everything that is loved has a Nazar, be it a car, a house, a baby, or a bride and groom. The Nazar, the large blue glass pieces in the picture below, is a bright blue eye with a black and white center. This example is truly unique. It is a hand-made piece we saw on the side of a Mansion in Datca that had been converted into a hotel.


Despite my best attempts, I couldn't find anything like this Nazar in any of the local shops. Most of the Turks I have asked are unsure of the origins of the Nazar, but a tour guide once told us that it is the eye of Medusa. If you are looking for a simple Nazar in Dallas, you might check Another Time and Place, a Turkish-owned gift shop located on Henderson.

Another Time and Place
2815 N Henderson Ave
Dallas, TX 75206
(214) 824-1875