Istanbul
Malabar Trading in Bridport has always had a strong association with Istanbul and we source products such as vintage kelims, silk ikat cushions and genuine turkish towels from our fantastic suppliers in and around The Grand Bazaar and from further afield in Turkey.
Since 2018 we have been going, usually once a year, to visit our favourite places, to meet old friends and make new ones. We pound the streets visiting carpet sellers, cushion embroiderers and jewellery makers. We drink lots of apple tea and spend hours selecting suzanis from Uzbekistan. We have built a strong relationship with refugees from Syria who have brought their silver, carpets and vintage textiles to Istanbul to sell.
In Konya we have found a team of expert rug repairers whilst Yahya, below, always has fantastic suzanis to show us from his contacts throughout Syria, Uzbekistan, Kurdistan, Egypt and Turkey. 
In 2018 and 2021 we travelled further inland to Konya and down the coast to Antalya to meet weavers, restorers, coppersmiths and many more skilled craftsmen and women.
In 2022 we returned after covid to help our suppliers re-build. Turkey has had a tough time economically and some of our suppliers were struggling with no visitors and high inflation. Fiona spent hours inspecting kilims and choosing only the best. We always have customers waiting for our new stock so we were very excited when our purchases followed us home to be hung in our ever-changing shop.
In December 2025 we visited to bring back suzani cushions, sample Syrian coffee roasters and meet with a fantastic new jewellery maker. If you are planning a trip to Istanbul we would recommend staying in the Fatih area where there are wonderful shops and artisans to meet. A must visit is the Egyptian Bazaar, full of spices, cafes and Turkish Delight. Go to the Hagia Sophia in the evening. If you want to see more modern jewellery and interesting little shops just catch the tram across the Bosporus to visit in the arty (although a little busy) area of town flourising below Galatta Tower.
