Istanbul Traditional Turkish Jewelry-Making Workshop: Create Your Own Piece

Explore Istanbul's El Hamra Han as you learn traditional Turkish jewelry-making in a 2-hour, hands-on workshop with three female master artisans.

Getting started

Arrive at El Hamra Han on Istiklal Street, across from Saint Antoine Church, and check in for your approximately 2-hour traditional Turkish jewelry-making workshop. You meet the three female master artisans who will lead your session and receive your tools and brass materials. After a brief orientation, you move to your workspace to begin the introduction to Turkish jewelry-making techniques.

What to expect

El Hamra Han jewelry workshop

Set inside historic El Hamra Han, opposite Saint Antoine Church on Istiklal Street, this workshop combines a working studio with a museum-like collection of traditional Turkish jewelry. Across roughly two hours, you move from learning core techniques to creating and finishing your own brass piece.

Features

• Three female master artisans lead the workshop, sharing traditional Turkish jewelry-making techniques and guiding you through each stage, from shaping to finishing your design.
• An introduction to Turkish jewelry craftsmanship starts the session, so you understand key methods and motifs before you begin your own hands-on jewelry-making with a personal design.
• You receive all brass materials, tools, and equipment at your bench, so you can focus fully on the creative process without needing to bring anything with you.
• During a break from making, you have the opportunity to explore the jewelry collection, which includes traditional pieces and works featured in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism collection.
• You choose one jewelry piece to create, selecting a bracelet, necklace, or personalized nameplate necklace, and then craft it step by step under the artisans' supervision.
• At the end of the workshop, you take home your own handmade jewelry piece as a unique Istanbul souvenir: a finished bracelet, necklace, or nameplate necklace made by you.