In the main tourist center of Antalya, Turkey, I discovered a little hidden treasure that seemed to defy time: a quaint antique store nestled among the city's vibrant streets. This isn't just any antique shop; it's a veritable time capsule, each visit revealing amazing new finds.
As I stepped through its doors, I was immediately struck by the astounding array of artifacts, each with a rich history etched into its being. Remarkably, some of these relics dated back over 2000 years, their silent forms narrating tales from eras gone by. The origin stories of these pieces were as fascinating as the items themselves. Many had journeyed from the troubled lands of Iran and Iraq, brought over by refugees who, in their search for a new life, smuggled these pieces of their heritage across borders.
Before I show you some of the finds, here is the location.... Just in case you ever make it out that way.
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| This was an old Bible on calf skin. Written in greek. No idea how old. |
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Beautiful carpets, some new, some old.
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| Furniture and many brass and bronze items. |
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| Doors and mirrors. Some hundreds of years old. |
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| Chests and old tools. |
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| Pottery and chests with beautiful artwork. |
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| Old doors and paintings. |
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| Owner said it's a Jewish book, 2000+ years old. |
My wife and I LOVE antique stores. But this one was on a completely different level.
One of the most surprising aspects of this store was its pricing. These historical artifacts, which I would have expected to be nearly priceless, were being sold for astonishingly modest amounts. For example, the two books in the pictures above were $200. Most chests were $50. It was an intriguing paradox: the invaluable worth of history exchanged for sums that belied their true value.
Yet, owning a piece of this history was not without its constraints. Due to Turkish laws safeguarding national heritage, any artifact older than 50 years could not leave the country. This legal boundary imbued my encounters with these antiques with a bittersweet quality. I could own them, admire them, but as a visitor, I couldn't take them with me. It's not worth risking spending the rest of your life in a Turkish prison.
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| Everywhere you looked, the place was loaded with amazing stuff. |
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| Teracotta Idols and Assyrian tablet (left) |
Each time I brought friends to this store, they were equally captivated by the variety and historical significance of the items. The collection ranged widely – from storied storage trunks and intricately woven carpets to evocative paintings and intriguing vintage electronics.
The store itself was a marvel of disorder, a charming chaos where history was piled upon history. It required a slow, deliberate exploration. I remember finding a century-old vintage radio sitting nonchalantly beside a terracotta idol from two millennia ago. This haphazard arrangement compelled me to take my time, to carefully absorb the stories embedded in each artifact.
Visiting this antique store in Antalya became more than a mere shopping excursion for me; it was a journey through the annals of time. Each visit revealed new stories, hidden gems that whispered tales of distant lands and times. It stood as a testament to the rich tapestry of human history, a place where the past was not just remembered, but tangibly present. In this little corner of Antalya, history was alive, and every artifact was a silent storyteller, waiting to share its secrets.
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