4 Places in Ankara to Find Unique Home Pieces

Serkan Şimşek – Interiors With A Soul – COMD 357 Multimedia Journalism Listeleme Projesi 

Hello Artsies! One thing I noticed when guests come over is their attention to the unique pieces in which they find my house. If you like to entertain, eye-grabbing pieces are for sure the best conversation starters. Although I had some small decorative pieces such as small greek statues, jewelry boxes, and lanterns lying around in my room before moving out of my parents’ house, I felt like I needed some more to fill up my new space. I spent much time in Ankara streets and countless conversations with friends & family members on where to find uncommon objects. Luckily, you do not have to spend that much effort, because if you are struggling to find unique home items in Ankara, today’s post where I visited Ayrancı Antika Pazarı, TASİŞ, Serkan Antik and İtfaiye Meydanı, will be your remedy!

 

1. A gift Ankara gives us once a month: Ayrancı Antika Pazarı

 

Since 2009, Ayrancı Antique Marketplace (Turkish: Ayrancı Antika Pazarı),  is established on the first Sunday of every month in Ayrancı Market.  On carefully put together market stalls, you can find many precious and rare antiquities that have survived test of time awaiting their new owners. In the market, if you get the sense that everyone knows each another, you are completely right. It is very likely to see similar faces in the market every month. Depending on the seller, items are gathered from Turkey, as well as all around the globe! Each stall has a story that smells like history. However, they all share a common ground, their age. The bazaar has set a limit for the age of the products, so the youngest item you can find is 20 years old. While looking around, I even found a piece that was more than 200 years old! When asked about the sales, a stall owner in the market, Bayram Öncel (60) states, “I am in the antiquities business since 40 years, I want to see the interest coming from the younger generation. The bazaar needs more fresh faces.” You can access marketplace’s website by clicking here (TR).  Since it gets crowded, while you are there, keep an eye on your belongings!

My rating: ★★★★★ /  ₺₺₺₺   
Address:  Ayrancı Pazarı, Güvenevler, 06540 Çankaya/Ankara, Türkiye
Open: First Sunday of Every Month 8:00-18:00 

 

2. Uniqueness without breaking the bank: TASİŞ

 

If you consider yourself a bougie on a budget, the place I am going to recommend now is your haven! TASİŞ, (Turkish: Tasfiye İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü), offers products from many different categories, all budget-friendly.  The store is run by the Turkish government and is used to liquidate items that are found to be imported/exported illegally. On right times, TASİŞ is my favourite place  to buy unique home items, however, there is a catch. Since the store only sells items to be liquidated, what is offered changes daily and never constant. Sometimes, it is packed with home objects and sometimes there isn’t any at all. Fortunately, their website has a useful tool to check what is offered at that point of time. If you are lucky, you can find items from very different parts of the world for incredibly cheap. 

My rating​: ★★★★☆ /  ₺₺₺₺    
Address:  Under Melike Hatun Mosque, Anafartalar, Atatürk Blv No:17, 06050 Altındağ/Ankara​
Open: Weekdays 10:00-17:30, Saturdays 9:15-12:45

 

3.16th-century European Antiquities in Ankara:Serkan Antik

 

If the budget isn’t a concern for you, located a 4-min walk away from the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Serkan Antik is a great place for rare and precious antiquities. The owner, my namesake, Serkan Neşeli is has 15 years of expertise in antiquities. The store has French, Italian, and British objects as well as furniture from many different eras, although Mr. Neşeli says that the antiquities especially from the Early Republican Period are in more demand.  He loves to use his social media accounts as a medium to reach antique lovers from all around the world. His instagram page is filled with pictures of the items in the store and his twitter bio is short and to the point for his passion for Antiques, “I love my job.” The store also provides a restoration service for items you want to turn to their first condition. If you are looking for unique home decor/furniture, and willing to pay the price, you should definitely pay a visit to Serkan Antik! You can find more information on their website.

My rating​: ★★★★★ /  ₺₺₺₺   
Address:  Koyunpazarı Yokuşu Sokak No:99-101, Samanpazarı Ankara, 06101
Open: Weekdays & Sat. from 10:30-18:30
Phone: 0312 310 73 68

 

4. A Hidden Gem for Home Decor in the Oldtown:  İtfaiye Meydanı 

 

Another place for Artsies who want to have eye-grabbing pieces without breaking the bank. From Barbie dolls to Islamic manuscripts, championship trophies to teddy-bears, you can find many budget friendly objects in, İtfaiye Square (Turkish: İtfaiye Meydanı). The square’s exact location is between Yenice Sk. and Derman Sk. It is located in the old town of Ankara, while you are there, you feel like you are strolling around in a living time capsule.  If you are planning to go alone, don’t be scared, although dated,  it is a very safe place. If you couldn’t find what you were looking for in the the small shops (very unlikely) there is a big local shop named Koç Antik for your taste. If you are planning to visit by car, I recommend you the parking lot under the newly built Melike Hatun Mosque. While you are there, you can even visit my 2nd recommendationTASİŞ before driving home! You can find more tips on square’s Foursquare page. 

My rating: ★★★☆☆ /  ₺₺₺₺     
Address:  Anafartalar, Kosova Sk., 06050 Altındağ/Ankara​ 
Koç Antik: Anafartalar, Yalçın Sk. 1/B, 06050 Altındağ/Ankara
Phone: (0312) 240 40 46
Open: Everyday from 10:30-19:00

I am looking forward to your comments and recommendations in the section below! Until next time, stay artsy!