Türkiye Textiles and Handcrafts

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) FOR FUTURE EXPLORATIONS OF TÜRKIYE’S TEXTILE AND HANDCRAFT TRADITIONS

Türkiye Textiles & Handcrafts Tour
May 2025 (dates TBC)

Join us for this small group, women’s tour exploring fabulous Türkiye through the lens of its textiles and handcrafts.

Türkiye has had a rich and eventful history with various empires and cultural influences (due to it being a stopover along the Silk Road) each leaving their mark and shaping its culture, cuisine, architecture and aesthetics, not to mention its superb textiles and handcrafts – the jewel in the Turkish crown and the focus of our wonderful 16 day adventure!

Our journey will take us from vibrant, cosmopolitan cities to picturesque hill-side villages, from world famous monuments to ancient ruins, from the azure waters of the Mediterranean to the distinctive rock formations of Cappadocia, from colourful handcraft bazaars to the serenity of the mesmerizing dervish ritual. We’ll learn about the fabulous handcrafts for which Türkiye is known including carpets, kilims, embroidery, ebru (marbling), lacework, silk, felt making, weaving, ceramics and much, much more!

Join us as we visit handcraft ateliers and studios, engage with artisans and master craftspeople and participate in hands-on handcraft activities:

  • paint your own Turkish tile
  • briefly learn how to tie ‘Turkish knots’ with the women at a carpet weaving co-op
  • print your own scarf using traditional Tokat block printing techniques
  • briefly try your hand at traditional embroidery while cruising on the Mediterranean
  • enjoy a full day felt-making workshop with a master felt-maker and dyer
  • create your own marbled masterpiece on silk using ancient ebru techniques

Engage with local artisans and craftspeople, be inspired by historical designs and motifs, marvel at superb craftsmanship, be in awe of ancient sites and architecture, gasp at stunning landscapes and experience wonderful traditional culture and generous Turkish hospitality.

This exciting textile adventure is not to be missed! We’d love you to join us!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) FOR FUTURE EXCITING EXPLORATIONS OF TÜRKIYE’S TEXTILE AND HANDCRAFT TRADITIONS

Things to note:

  • The itinerary is a full one to ensure value for money, however some free periods are built in. The opportunity exists to extend your trip by extra nights at our hotel in Istanbul before, and/or after the tour;
  • Türkiye is often misjudged when it comes to the cost of goods and services and prices can vary considerably between regions. Budgets are a personal choice, but please bear in mind that you should NOT expect Türkiye to be a budget destination.
  • Transport is by private air-conditioned coach, commuter ferry, gulet, taxi, tram and a domestic flight;
  • Cultural, environmental and economically sustainable travel is important to us. To this end, we: engage local guides; partner with a wholesale tour operator whose values align with ours; patronise organisations and co-operatives that return all profits directly to their local community; support fair trade and non-government organisations providing vocational training, experience and rehabilitation to disadvantaged groups and communities, particularly those that empower women and girls to earn an income through the production of traditional handcrafts.
  • Is this trip right for you? Please carefully and realistically consider your mobility and fitness levels to determine if this trip is right for you. Participants need to be able to navigate arrival and departure airports without personal assistance, carry their luggage for short distances, embark and disembark coaches, trains, and boats without assistance, manage flights of stairs without assistance, stand for periods of time in galleries and museums, undertake walking tours including walking on uneven ground and possibly in warm to hot weather. 
  • The hands-on handcraft activities included in this itinerary are not formal classes with trained teachers. They’re more about genuine person to person interactions, cultural exchange and learning directly from authentic, traditional artisans at their work place, village or home, in their own style;
  • our maximum group size on this trip is 15 women;
  • retreat|recreate’s tour groups comprise women from all over the globe and embrace all ages (over 18), ethnicities and personalities. Flexibility and a sense of humour are essential when travelling as part of a group.