{"id":5926,"date":"2021-01-18T11:36:58","date_gmt":"2021-01-18T11:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bilkentpost.bilkent.edu.tr\/?p=5926"},"modified":"2021-01-18T11:45:27","modified_gmt":"2021-01-18T11:45:27","slug":"a-collectors-haven-divrigi-carpet-antique","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/bilkentpost.bilkent.edu.tr\/index.php\/2021\/01\/18\/a-collectors-haven-divrigi-carpet-antique\/","title":{"rendered":"A Collector’s Haven: Divri\u011fi Carpet & Antique"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Serkan \u015eim\u015fek – Interiors with a Soul<\/a> – Comd 357 Multimedia Journalism Final Project<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hello Artsies! I am back with a new story where I spent a day in a very close family friend’s carpet & antiques shop. Mr. Ali Karababa is a very well-known -if not the biggest- collector from Ankara! From museum assigned pieces belonging to The Great Seljuk and Ottoman Empire, to family heirlooms discovered in the distant villages of Turkey, many great antiques and carpets can be found in Alibaba’s store in the Esat neighbourhood of Ankara. There is a twist however, although it is a “store”, many of the items here are not for sale because of their rarity, historical value and Alibaba’s devotion to them! Come and join me on today’s post where I spent a day exploring the the most valuable pieces in their store and listening to his son, Mr. Kemal Karababa!<\/p>\n

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Mr. Kemal Karababa posing alongside his father Mr. Ali Karababa’s Collection<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Mr. Ali Karababa, known as “Alibaba” and his 2 sons, Kemal and Eyup has been doing this business since 1960’s. Although Alibaba started his career as a contractor, his interest in antiques and carpets started in his teenage years. “My father started this business because of his love for antiques and travelled to many distant villages in over 64 out of 67 cities in Turkey (in 1960’s and 1970’s) and collected historical artefacts” says Mr. Karababa. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

According to him,  the reason his father decided not to sell many items from his collection was due to the fact that he loved all of his pieces as a “children” and refused to part ways with them. He adds, “he opened a store in Tehran Street<\/a> (a very popular street in Ankara) and sold many antiques in 3 months, he then realised that he couldn’t find the same or similar pieces again, after then, he never sold a rare piece.” I have translated the important points into English in my texts, you can see the full Turkish video below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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