Nakkas Oriental Rugs & Textiles

Nakkas Oriental Rugs & Textiles

Nakkas Oriental Rugs & Textiles
4.5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Nakkas Rug is home to an incredibly varied collection of over 20,000 carpets and kilims, including antique rugs and modern designs created with traditional weaving techniques. While offering traditional Hereke, Konya, Kayseri, Sivas, Bergama and Oushak carpets, Nakkaş also offers one-off custom solutions for architectural projects. Nakkaş is also home to the Nakilbent Cistern, a 6th-century Byzantine cistern located under our building. Fully restored and open to visitors, we proudly sponsor artistic and cultural exhibitions. Please stop by and take a look!
Duration: 1-2 hours
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Sultanahmet
With so many unmissable attractions within a mere stroll of each other – and all set around the site of an ancient Byzantine hippodrome – Sultanahmet is an overwhelmingly popular tourist destination, and a prime location for visitors to be wowed on a truly epic scale. Beyond the wonders of the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and more, this relatively small area of Istanbul somehow manages to retain an air of peace and calm. It offers visitors a significantly less celebrated but nonetheless pleasant network of quaint lanes and side streets, majestic panoramas of the Bosphorus, and an impressive assortment of accommodation options for all budgets and tastes.
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See what travelers are saying

  • jmfich
    Berkeley, California12 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great rugs
    This rug store is pretty clearly catering to tourists- they have a master weaver on site showing weaving practice (incredible), and they serve you apple tea as they whip out the rugs for you to see. OTOH, the rugs are gorgeous, excellent quality, and priced similarly to what we’d pay in the states. But you must have an approx amount you’ll spend, barter heavily, and be willing to leave if you want to get a good deal. I’m very happy with my purchase, and know I would have paid a lot more at home.
    Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We’re so glad you enjoyed your experience at Nakkas. We look forward to your future visits and to helping you find more beautiful rugs that suit your style.
    Written September 4, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 5, 2024
  • Jim L
    Vancouver, Canada20 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nakkas Rugs and Textiles - A Timeless Souvenir of Istanbul
    To round off a fascinating day exploring the mosques and Topkapi Palace in the ancient heart of Istanbul, our Celebrity Cruises tour took us into their recommended Nakkas Rugs builing. Nakkas is located two minutes walk from the south and of Sultan Ahmet Square, (the old Roman stadium). The Nakkas builing has not only been renovated to display a gallery of the best carpets you could ever wish to see anywhere in Asia, but also to show off a very large high-ceilinged, well-lit ancient water cistern in their basement! Over a snack and a cup of tea, the skills required for weaving hand-knotted carpets were demonstrated and explained to us. The entire visit was educational and was the more precious to us because we had always wanted to visit Istanbul and to bring back a carpet as a souvenir. Our spectacular circular carpet has just arrived at our home in Vancouver, taking only three weeks, and with all transportation and import taxes already included in the price. Our thanks go out to Gunter Smolinka, our contact in Istanbul for simplifying this complex transaction. We are delighted.
    Thank you . So happy to read your comments. Hope to meet you again. 🙏🏼🌷
    Written July 4, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 6, 2024
  • sidneytrip10
    Esher, United Kingdom42 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An enjoyable and professional experience
    An excellent experience. We went knowing roughly what we wanted but woefully underprepared - to the extent of not even knowing our room dimensions. Mr Zeynel and his team patiently worked with us - estimating room sizes, narrowing down colour and pattern sets, and showing us lots and lots of carpets whilst being a very gracious host. We are obviously unable to decide there and then what to purchase, but we took pictures and measurements and returned home. Once there, a check of our rooms, a simple email exchange and a phone call, agreed an acceptable price and method of payment, and one week later our two carpets arrived at our home - and look great. We are delighted.
    Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We are delighted that you love our rugs. As a valued customer, we hope to see you again soon. If you ever need anything, we're here to help!
    Written September 4, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 8, 2024
  • Shirleymaria
    Nashville, Tennessee254 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Original Handmade Turkis Rugs!
    This was a great experience on how the Turkis rugs are made… Starting at the entrance when they showed in place the way the rugs are handmade and then going upstairs for a private showing of styles and material options - they will give you the price (all inclusive with shipping and customs) to your door. Incredible time and much appreciated hospitality! I decided to purchase a new rug, they offered me one price and the bargain to a better price and customized to the size I needed. I strongly recommend the place, for an original experience!! They have a free of entrance to a Cistern in the basement, just the perfect ending for your day!!
    Thank you so much for your kind words! At Nakkas, we take great pride in offering the finest Turkish rugs, and it's wonderful to hear that you appreciate our work. We look forward to welcoming you back to our store!
    Written September 4, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 28, 2024
  • Alberto Teodosio Biondi
    Merate, Italy891 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Carpets
    Great carpet shop, with endless choice. We found a very kind person who spoke an excellent Italian who will have shown us 30 carpets, all beautiful and of great quality. Prices related to product quality and therefore high. For important amounts they also make the shipment home. We also visited the underground cistern. Recommendation.
    Grazie per il tuo commento. Spero di darti presto il benvenuto di nuovo.
    Written September 10, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written September 8, 2024
  • Anne J
    20 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Rug arrived today
    On arrival we were seated and offered ether apple tea hot or cold, Turkish Coffee, normal coffee. We had the apple tea cold it was delicious. We were shown many types of carpets, rugs, runners etc made with different types of weaving. After much thought we ended up buying a lovely rug it arrived today 12/09/2024. Right on time as they stated it would. It was well packaged. I’m extremely pleased with our rug and excited that it’s arrived as stated. Thank you. I highly recommend Nakkas, your guide should know how to find them.
    Great. It looks really beatiful and we hope you experince best moments with your new rug. 🧿
    Written October 16, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 11, 2024
  • James Ralph W
    North Richland Hills, Texas11 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Rug purchase
    We ended up here after a private tour and they were so friendly and we bought a rug; they gave us a great price based on the info I had going in. I did feel a high pressure to buy; it seems they weren’t letting us go without buying. Don’t go with first price they quote or even the second! They did have 16k rugs in their inventory.
    Thank you for your visit. Of course you could go without buying. 🤷🏻‍♀️Maybe you felt this because of the buyer’s energy around. Hope to welcome you again to make you feel more comfortable next time. Please visit us just for a drink. 👋🏼
    Written November 14, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 15, 2024
  • AnneMarie
    8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best Experience for Turkish Rugs
    We had the most wonderful visit to Nakkas. We were greeted warmly by the proprietor, Mr. Ünlüsoy, a fifth-generation rug maker. We observed a master weaver at work on a hand-knotted silk rug and learned about the materials, designs, and techniques used to make rugs. Several members of the Nakkas team displayed a wide variety of rugs and told us about the differences in traditional patterns from various geographical regions in Turkey. Every rug we saw was breathtakingly beautiful and of the highest quality. These are true artisans.
    We’re so happy to hear you had a positive experience with Nakkas! 💕 Our rugs are a labor of love, crafted with tradition and care. Your feedback inspires us to continue bringing the beauty of Turkish craftsmanship to our customers.Hope to see you again.
    Written November 14, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited November 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written November 6, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles90 reviews
Excellent
64
Very good
13
Average
3
Poor
5
Terrible
5

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

Kevin R
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
If you find yourself in Istanbul and you’re looking for a high-quality Turkish rug, visit Nakkas Oriental Rugs and Textiles. It is in the Sultanahmet district very close to the Blue Mosque.

You’ll find a craftsperson weaving in the lobby and the owner, Cengiz Kara, will explain what you’re witnessing. Believe me, what you are witnessing is the creation of a work of art. The history of Turkish rugs, the different types and the methods used to make them are described and questions are encouraged.

From the lobby, it is upstairs to the showing area. The store’s associates will unroll a variety of sizes and types of rugs for you. It isn’t that the associates are pleased to show their inventory, they are proud of the products they sell. As you’ll see, their pride is demonstrable and well placed. This is all accompanied by tea, of course.

The biggest problem you’re going to have is making a selection from the hundreds of beautiful rugs in inventory. Help is on the way, however. Mr. Kara listens carefully to your thoughts and requirements. Rather than just show you the most expensive rugs, he will work hard to fulfill your expectations in a range of sizes, patterns, prices, and materials. For us, this all took place without pressure to buy anything.

All taxes, customs duties and shipping are included in the price. Count on the customs service slowing down shipping as the items must spend time in a bonded warehouse. From the time we made our purchase to delivery was under 60 days.

Highly recommended.
Written December 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for these beautiful words and all the details you have shared. On behalf of the whole Nakkas Team we would be very happy to welcome you again soon and wish you a happy new start for 2024 with your beloved ones. Warm regards,
Written December 6, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Anna T
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Solo
Nakkaş Gallery is located in the historical center of Istanbul, next to the Hippodrome. Wonderful selection of high quality ceramics and carpets. I needed to buy a special keepsake, authentic and with history. In the ceramics department, manager Nihat talked about the different styles and meanings of ornaments, helped with choosing a gift and introduced the works of world-class ceramicists such as IIbrahim Kuşlu, Mehmet Gürsoy and Turgut Tuna. The works of these masters are in the most famous museums in the world. Thanks to Nihat's stories and his respectful attitude towards the traditions of Turkish ceramic art, I was able to not only resolve the issue with the gift, but also start a collection of handmade ceramics. I continue to make discoveries
Google
Written October 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind words. Discoveries are important and joyful and we are here always to support you during your journey. Wish you a happy new year. 🎄 Translated via Google... Благодарю вас за ваши добрые слова. Открытия важны и радостны, и мы всегда здесь, чтобы поддержать вас во время вашего путешествия. Желаю счастливого Нового года. 🎄
Written December 6, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Nina G
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Friends
Go upstairs and be treated with a beverage of your choice while learning about different types of rugs and carpets. They have a beautiful and extensive collection to choose from. (Bargaining is expected saving you 30% off the initial price.) On the ground level you can watch a woman weaving and visit a jewelry store and a ceramics store full of beautiful Kütahya ceramics. Underground there is a cistern you can visit. There is an elevator up and down, too.
Written April 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alessandro B
Dublin, Ireland5,269 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
We were in this beautiful shop during a visit (included in our tour) to the cistern underneath it, so we took a look. We were very impressed, even though at the moment we were not interested in their products, which however seemed to us to be of undoubted quality as well as aesthetically very beautiful. The owner is also very kind and professional and, even if we didn't buy anything, but only took a look, I would recommend anyone interested in this type of product to at least take a look.
Google
Written November 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grazie per le gentili parole. Spero di incontrarti di nuovo presto. Forse la prossima volta che ci lascerai con alcuni regali Nakkas, perché no? 😊 Ti auguro buon anno nuovo. 🎄
Written December 6, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Nilda L
5 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Couples
After reading a few reviews about this store, we decided to go there to buy a rug.
I don't know if we were unlucky enough to run into a particularly rude salesperson, but that was our experience at Nakkas.
Neither tank, nor demonstration, nor view from the top floor, nothing was on the program for us.
On the other hand, we were treated to tea.

After seeing a few rugs, we decided on a pretty, handmade, quality one, but the negotiation was non-existent since the 30% discount offered to the people who wrote the reviews on this site was refused to us.
We got up to leave and... we left, the seller being even more unpleasant.

Fortunately we went to another store where we concluded the purchase of a magnificent carpet, with joy and good humor.
Google
Written June 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Désolé de lire que vous avez vécu cette expérience ici avec nous. ❤️‍🩹 Nous aurions aimé que vous partagiez vos commentaires au magasin où nous pourrions comprendre le problème, vous aider et le résoudre immédiatement. Avoir une expérience de plus de 35 ans dans ce secteur nous montre que nous faisons beaucoup de choses de la bonne manière, mais il y a bien sûr des domaines que nous devrions améliorer. Nous serions heureux si vous pouviez partager plus de détails dans cet e-mail afin que nos responsables puissent comprendre la situation gênante que vous avez rencontrée et comprendre ce qu'il faut améliorer. Au plaisir de vous accueillir à nouveau afin de partager de bons souvenirs ensemble. 🙏🏼🌷 (translated via Google )
Written July 4, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Libby J
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
In 2007 I purchased a small rug from this company. Since then I have had land line and cell phone calls from them for 13 years!! They are in the states have gifts for me. I block the number, they have an other one.
Now on 10/11/2020 a man shows up at my door saying his father the ownwe ha sent him with gifts and rugs for me to see. This is stalking!! If you want to be stalked buy a rug from here on your vacation!!!
Written October 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wombling_Free_7548
Bristol, UK2,209 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
You go into the shop to access the Cistern, which is free of charge. A sign on the door said a reservation was required but we were allowed down without one. When we returned, we were shown a lady making a carpet but there was no hard sell,
Written May 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Melanie D
Oakland, CA16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023
Visiting this shop was a highlight of our trip to Istanbul. They were friendly and responded to us right away. They first sat us down and offered something to drink.
Then our sales person showed us so many carpets. We learned so much about the process and the weavers. Handmade silk carpets, handmade wool carpets. He was not at all high pressure (as the one in the Grand Bazaar had been). They offered fair prices. They also have a lovely rooftop with great views of the Blue Mosque and the old city wall. And there is an ancient cistern in the basement. Such a historically interesting visit.
Written August 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your kind words. Hope to welcome you soon again. Wish you a happy new year. 🎄
Written December 6, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Bianca B
8 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
This was a forced stop on a paid private tour. Like others have commented, I felt tons of pressure to buy something so that we could leave. It ruined the rest of the tour and we couldn't wait to end the day. Based on the other reviews, it sounds like now I will be getting tons of phone calls from them. Ugh.
Written September 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sorry to hear your comment. Whatever causes you to feel this way makes us frustrated. It becomes sometimes chaotic there due to visitors willing to buy and not to buy. We have a beatiful terrace where our guest can relax and enjoy the view. We hope to see you again soon and make it up to you.
Written October 16, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Shamail A
Dhaka City, Bangladesh2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Couples
This is a must visit place for anyone looking for Turkish carpets. From the selection to the knowledge of their Sales Associates, we had a great time finding a carpet within out budget. Mr Yguur showed us the carpets and we had a wonderful time at their store. This is a huge store and houses a huge range. We highly recommend!
Written December 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Nakkas Oriental Rugs & Textiles - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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