(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Turkey's pavilion at Amerat Park looks something like a traditional bazaar along an Istanbul street.
The stalls owners really have brought pieces of their country with them offering so many interesting products for visitors to take home.
There are high-quality textiles hand-painted silk scarves rugs silverware antique patterned kilims nazar boncugu (glass beads to ward off evil eye) water paintings and much more.
Products apart what will draw visitors to the stalls are the smiling faces of artisans and their warmth. For them customers are guests and hence should be welcomed with Turkish tea.
Turkish felt
Ayfer Gulec is one such stall owner. She is selling felt garments at the pavilion. Felt has a long history dating back to Neolithic Age. It is entirely handmade and has been regarded highly by people throughout the ages.
Ayfer who comes from Izmir tells the story of her felt. 'People have given up on the culture of using felt which was an essential part of Antolia before the Turks arrived. I have merged its aesthetics and functionality so it can be used by people in the modern age too.'
Earlier Ayfer's family ran felt business from a small town Turkey Once the culture began to decline she became a felt artist like some others and managed to revive the art.
'First we soak the wool in water. It is then taken out and flattened. A pattern is drawn on it using natural colours. Silk is added and another layer of wool is put on the pattern once it has dried. It is then ironed to be ready for use.'
Ayfer makes 300 pieces a month and has over 250 product varieties at her boutique in Kusadasi a resort town in Turkey.
These distinctive garments protect the wearer from the summer heat and the winter chill.
In homes plain felt blankets made from white wool are spread over seating cushions and felt mats are laid over beds during winters. 'Embroidered felt saddle clothes are spread beneath horses' saddles to soak up the sweat. Felt was once an indispensable part of daily life as it was used to make saddle bags shoes headgear mats prayer rugs garments and household utilities in various colours' says Ayfer.
Painting on water
Esin Sevgin Adiyaman a marble water artist attracts crowds with her distinctive technique of painting on water. The talented woman creates colourful patterns of tulips pansies and marigolds by sprinkling and brushing colour pigments on a pan of oily water and then imprinting the pattern on paper.
The special tools of her trade include horsehair brushes rose twigs a deep tray made of unknotted pinewood and natural earth pigments.
'This decorative art was invented in the 13th century in Turkmenistan. Ottoman calligraphers and artists used this art to decorate books imperial decrees
official invitations and documents' says Esin.
Bright Iznik pottery
Maryam Bushra is an Iznik ceramic painter. It has been well-documented that painted ceramics from Turkey have been among the finest in the Mediterranean region. Rich colours and intricate designs display incredible artistic talent and the decorative plates serving bowls vases and jars add an authentic and colourful Mediterranean touch to one's home.
Maryam says that she gets the clay pottery from others and herself paints the patterns.
'I use underglaze to trace a pattern. The painting style gets more naturalistic as the colour palette increases. People mostly favour turquoise dark purple blue black green red and light purple. It takes a week to finish painting a large piece.'
Glass charms
Without the nazar boncugu any Turkish pavilion would be incomplete as it is a quintessential part of Turkish culture. It is a good luck charm born out of the age-old superstition of the evil eye.
Bushra Zaidi a performing troupe member at the festival said 'To ward off evil intentions of people Anatolian artisans created blue glass eyes that 'look' straight back at the 'spell-caster' as if to say 'I see what you're doing'.
'Few people really believe in this superstition but it's such an enjoyable tradition and a beautiful little piece of craft. You'll see it all over Turkey.'
The best charms are hand-crafted using blown glass and come in many shapes and sizes. They can be hung on walls in cars or worn as bracelets.
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