Cuhaci Han, the Old Market of Istanbul that Still Sends Jewelry to the World

Cuhaci Han is still alive as a center for jewelry trading in the midst of old buildings in Istanbul. The nearly 300-year-old trading complex houses hundreds of businesses and continues to send jewelry products abroad, especially Germany and the United States.

Anadolu Agency, quoted on Friday, June 26, reported that Cuhaci Han was near the Nuruosmaniye Mosque, Fatih District, Istanbul. This building was built in the 18th century by the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, Nevsehirli Damat Ibrahim Pasha.

Initially, Cuhaci Han was a center for the trade of cuha, a thick wool fabric widely used in the Ottoman era. Gradually, this area turned into one of the important centers of jewelry trade in Istanbul.

Now, Cuhaci Han accommodates 287 active businesses. Around 80 percent of them are engaged in the jewelry industry. The rest are foreign exchange offices. The shops are on the ground floor, while the polishing and gemstone installation workshops work on the top floor.

Gokhan Kilicaslan, odabasi or head of the Cuhaci Han management, said the area was once the main center of Istanbul's jewelry production and wholesale trade.

"Until the 1990s, production and wholesale trade in this sector were largely carried out here," said Kilicaslan.

After the restoration was completed several years ago, the number of visitors increased. The pattern of trade also shifted. Cuhaci Han, which was dominated by wholesalers, is now also crowded with retail buyers.

Kilicaslan said foreign tourists generally buy 14 karat gold jewelry, while local customers prefer 22 karat gold.

Cuhaci Han is also still a production site. In this area there are almost 30 craftsmen of gemstone setters, about 10 polishers, and six kilns.

"Products from here are mostly sent to Germany and the United States," he said.

According to Kilicaslan, jewelry exports from Cuhaci Han have been going on since the 1970s and 1980s. Online sales have only just begun, but the international market has long been the goal of business actors in the region.

However, the craftsmen are now facing a regeneration problem. Kilicaslan said that fewer and fewer young people want to learn to be jewelry craftsmen. In fact, this skill requires a long process.

Kaya Degirmenci, a master of gemstone installation at Cuhaci Han, said the profession requires training, patience, and introduction from a young age.

"In the past, everything was done by hand. Now, everything is becoming more technological with digital systems," said Degirmenci.

According to Degirmenci, technological changes have also reduced the number of stone setters. Cuhaci Han used to have about 700 shops. As many as 300 to 350 of them are engaged in the field of stone setting. Now, throughout Istanbul, it is estimated that only about 100 to 150 stone setters remain.

According to Kilicaslan, Cuhaci Han is also known among traders as a place to learn the jewelry profession. There, the craftsmen not only learn skills, but also manners and respect in work.