What Should I Bring with Back Home….

Top Ideas For Souvenirs!

We have designed a list of top souvenirs you can take back home from Van, here it is …

We have visited the tourist, natural, and historical sights in Van, the gate of our country opening to Asia through Iran, and also tasted the special dishes specific to this city. Now, the question is; what should we buy to take back home?  

A Piece of Century-Old Jewellery: Silver with Niello Work

Ladies, hear ye! This part of our text concerns you. So, let’s start: Everybody likes pieces of jewellery, especially if it is a piece of fine handcrafted product… Do you know, that, during the Ottoman period, the provinces of Van and Diyarbakır were given the authority to engrave the Sultan’s signature on products made of high silver alloy? Okay, okay; I am coming to the point. Pieces of silver jewellery fine handcrafted by masterful hands are among the most precious products offered in Van. Niello is a metallic mixture of copper, lead, and silver. The mixture is melted in a pot, cooled in a buffalo horn, and moulded in iron bars after getting it rested for two hours. Filling the motifs on a product of silver with this mixture is called niello-work. And Van is located in the region where this technique of ornamentation first appeared. From necklaces to earrings, from bracelets to rings, there is a great variety of products processed with niello; you should only choose the one you like best…

Where to buy it: in the shop in Cumhuriyet and Maraş Streets.

A Wonderful Handicraft: Kilims of Van 

Our second option is another marvellous hand-made product … It is the kilims mostly woven in handcraft by women in fine motifs knot by knot, all dyed with natural dyes mostly in Van white (oyster white), dark blue, claret red and brown using threads produced from animals by local farmers.  

Where to but it: Iran Bazaar, Van Houses

Souvenirs Made of Carved and Inlaid Walnut Wood

Another product of handicraft, you would ask; but what can we do? it is a tradition here! Wood gained from local walnut trees is cut in timbers and dried in an oven for three days. Then, the timbers are rested for six-seven months to dehumidify them, after which time the timbers are cut into small pieces, formed in a lathe machine, and polished. Now they are ready to be used. Well, what are the products? A wide range of products from chess boards, candle holders to sugar bowls and dowry chests; it is your turn to choose!

Where to buy one: In the shops in the districts of Bahçesaray and Çatak.

Always A Favourite At Breakfast Table: Cheese With Herbs 

It would not be exaggerated to say that breakfast, the king of the meals, is also the favourite meal in Van… With a great variety of delicious recipes with over 30 ingredients and spreads, the breakfast here turns into a feast for the palate. One delicious ingredient is the herby cheese; besides tasting it, you should also take it back home. The reason? It is as follows: The cheese with herbs, a local speciality in Van, is mainly produced from sheep's and goat's milk. After a long fermentation process, the milk is put in earthen cups, covered with vine leaves. Then the cups are covered with mud and stored; the storage generally takes place under the ground until it is rife enough to be consumed. Those who want to take this delicate herby cheese back home can find it at the address below. A word of caution: you should buy your cheese in vacuum packs or cans so that it remains fresh on the way for a long time.

Where to buy it: Cheese Sellers’ Bazaar, Cumhuriyet Street

One Who Has Honey, Licks His Fingers 

With its rich flora, Van also offers a famous honey variety, another prominent speciality produced in the region. It is a special variety of honey called karakovan (dark hive) honey that is being produced here entirely in the natural environment since the antique ages. It is a honey variety of great quality. By the way, let me give you a hint: the genuine honey does never deteriorate.

Where to buy it: In the district of Çatak and Bahçesaray.