Turkish Tradition

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Have you ever wished that you could kill with a single glance, like Darth Vader or Voldemort?
And has anyone ever looked at you in that way? In modern English we have expressions such as “if looks could kill”
and “looking daggers at someone” – but the idea of dangerous eyes was much more real in the ancient world,
and it is still taken seriously in Turkey today. This is the story of the ‘Evil Eye’, known in Turkish as nazar,
whose history stretches back to ancient Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome.
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Every nation has superstitions of which some originated thousands of years ago.
A popular belief existing in many corners of society is the evil eye. A look can cause pain, injury,
or bad luck to anyone on the receiving end.
People who are jealous or simply believe that a person does not deserve the good fortune given to them,
also give the evil eye subconsciously. A rabbit’s foot is the most common European example and in Turkey,
the Nazar Boncuğu is widely displayed in homes, shops, and business circles.
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Nazar Boncuğu is not just a Turkish tradition anymore. It is also the most popular souvenir sold.
From small key rings to necklaces to large ceramic eyes to hang up in the home, you can find it almost everywhere,
especially in the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market in İstanbul. It is made of blue beads.
In addition, Nazar Boncuğu bead is usually a round shape;
it is dark blue with the shape of an eye in the middle in different sizes and varieties.
This bead can even be used as a decoration in your house. Nowadays, it became a part of people’s art and creations.
As a result, Nazar Boncuğu doesn't have any religious significance, or it doesn't bring good luck,
it's just a false belief in order to keep away the danger of the "evil eye".