It was a showcase of everything made in
Turkey. And the four-day festival brought
some stunning pieces of artistry to the fore
By Umer Nangiana
The rosary, the avatar, the calligraphy, the art of kilim weaving and tile making … everything they showcased was unique in its own style. It was indeed ‘very Turkish’. The local audience would not have seen much of the pieces of art and culture exhibited at the four-day Turkish Festival held at Katara Cultural Village recently.
However, the organisers ensured that the visitors were given in insight into the pieces of art. Turkish artists took great pains in explaining the details at each of the stalls.
The shining silverware was the main attraction. Artists from the historic city of Istanbul, presented the traditional art of engraved silver, gold-plated utensils and decoration pieces. Antik Silver, which has been in this business for decades, exports this Turkish specialty to many countries around the world.
“Artist for this type of art can only be found in Istanbul. It is very traditional. Silver smiting goes back to some 3,000 years ago and has its origins in Egypt. My family has been into this business for many years now,” Stepan Balik, the head of the company told Community. Before him, his father Miran Balik had run the company for 50 years. Both were present at the show.
Antik Silver is a family firm that has reached the present day without sacrificing any of its traditional production techniques. It is one of Turkey’s very few manufacturers of silver objects, Balik added.
Antik Silver products are handmade. It has managed to protect traditional production techniques in their original form. In every product the workmanship of engraving, hammering, chasing, spinning and openwork techniques are used.
“We use 925-karat silver and it shows the required sensitivity in producing good quality and original products,” the artist and the owner of the company added. The most stunning piece was a tea-set that was priced at QR4,000.
Balik said it sometimes takes more than two months to finish one product as it was hand-made. He has now introduced some machines as well yet the finishing is still done by humans. His firm makes all kinds of household goods — from utensils to cookie jars, Qur’an covers, centre pieces and other decoration pieces.
Hakan Tanju Kucuk from Iznik Foundation was present with world famous Iznik tiles and ceramics. Artists from the city of Iznik were present to show the audience how the tiles are designed and Kucuk would explain how they are finished.
Iznik tiles are made of quartz which are so characteristic, valuable and durable that it stands for centuries. “To make one tile it takes 40 or more days. They are handmade so they are expensive,” Kucuk told Community.
One square metre is about $2,000. They can be placed in houses, palaces, mosques, and other building for decoration. With these tiles, the Iznik Foundation has decorated mosques, metro stations and other places in Istanbul.
They were also used in the renovation of the famous Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. “This art is almost five centuries old. These are all natural colours. First, the quartz is pounded into powder and biscuits are made. They are then heated for some time, then design, contours and colouring is done,” Kucuk added.
Again, the Iznik Foundation is a family business which has a workshop in Iznik, a small town in Turkey. The city has a special school where they train artists in tile-making. These pieces of art are exported all over the world. Mosques in Berlin, Germany, USA and some even in Qatar have them, said Kucuk.
Another outstanding feature of the Turkish showcase was The Shadow Puppetry. Children in Turkey have been growing up watching this unique type of puppetry which tells stories of Aladdin and other fairies.
Suat Veral, the maker and the artist behind the puppets, said it dates back to the time when there was no concept of electricity thus no TV or radio. It was the top source of entertainment for children and adults alike.
The puppets dance on sticks behind a wall of thin veil. The audience can actually see the shadows and cannot see the hand behind them. The shadow puppetry shows are still famous in Turkey and are held on special occasions like Eid and parties.
Veral had different sets of puppets on sale as well for the children to take the legendary characters home and make their own stories.
