Antique enthusiasts gather at nostalgia market in Antalya

ANTALYA

An antique market set up in Antalya brings together collectors and enthusiasts eager to explore treasures from the past.

Held in the Muratpaşa district on the second week of every month, the market showcases and sells around 5,000 antique items. Visitors browsing through the stalls filled with items produced and used decades ago enjoy both shopping and a nostalgic experience.

Shoppers find a wide variety of items ranging from antique clocks, oil lamps, copper household goods, kilims and old coins to porcelain figurines. While collectors enrich their collections, visitors are transported back in time, listening to music from gramophones playing vinyl records.

Mehmet Karagöz, head of the Mediterranean Antique Dealers and Enthusiasts Association, told Anadolu Agency that the market is both a place to display and sell antiques.

Despite the hot weather, both dealers and visitors have shown great interest, he said.

“Guests and customers can find nostalgia products, antiques, vintage pieces and souvenirs all together here. Our main goal is to foster appreciation for antiques. As the number of antique lovers grows, these activities will flourish even more,” Karagöz added.

He said the market features artifacts from the Ottoman era, including copper, brass and porcelain items, as well as works from the early Republican period.

Visitors often become emotional as they encounter objects tied to personal memories, Karagöz noted.

“For example, they see a yellow cup at a stall and say, ‘My mother or grandmother had one of these at home.’ You can tell they are recalling old days, reliving their memories. The purpose of this market is to bring antiques into the present and keep them alive. Antique lovers come here when they are looking for a specific item, and we help them find it. The market offers around 5,000 items, ranging from antiques to vintage and nostalgic goods,” he explained.

'Antiques are culture, tradition and heritage'

Dealer İbrahim Çakmak said his passion for antiques began in childhood and that he has been collecting for the past seven years.

“Antiques carry history and culture. They reflect our heritage. These markets bring people together, allowing us to recognize and preserve our culture. Antiques are culture, tradition and heritage, and we present them to people here. I have seen people cry at my stall, remembering their mothers cooking börek in these trays or making stuffed vegetables in these pots. We help people relive their childhood and youth through antiques,” he said.