Since late February 2013 Cubans feel the presence and influence of Turkish culture in Havana, as some of its most typical goods can be purchased at a downtown establishment which is peculiarly fitted and decorated.
The bazaar, with an original design inspired by Moorish and Islamic styles and a subtle aroma, transports those who come to the tales of the Arabian nights. In the neighborhood of Miramar, right at the popular La Copa shopping center on 3rd and 42 there is this Turkish bazaar, heir to the famous Bazaar in Istanbul, which offers first line imported products of the Eurasian nation.
The Turks, from the Ottoman Empire times have had a reputation for good traders, so that in different parts of the world their indigenous products are marketed, highly demanded for their originality, excellent making and undeniable quality, always fusing traditional with experimental and contemporary elements.
Rugs, fabrics, jars, vases, tapestries, incense, lamps, food, household items, glassware, spices, jewelry, key chains, decorative magnets, among other items like Turkish eye or nazar, an amulet and a symbol of the culture of this nation, are present on site. You can also purchase layette, clothes, bags, various household utensils, makeup, personal care and other beauty and feminine aesthetic products.
This initiative by Giraylar Company SA and TRD-Caribe retailer has had great acceptance, because from the first day it opened a large number of consumers purchased goods “without being the least expensive in the market possess excellent value for money, they are unique products that have never been marketed in the country, ” Vladimir Mora, head of the trade group of La Copa, told OnCuba
“It was quite a boom when it opened over a year ago, with more than 5000 CUC sold daily,” Lenai Catañeda, commercial officer at the Bazaar said. “Today it does not have the level of sales it had in the beginning because different products have been depleted and they have been well accepted and we are waiting for new merchandise to please the audience,” she added.
Brands like Gural, Pasabache, Farmasi, are some of the currently marketed. Everything is top quality, with unique designs and innovative proposals.
Soon Cuba and Turkey will mark the 54 anniversary of diplomatic relations, since Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize the Cuban Revolution since its inception, and over the decades they have been maintained. For seven years, the Giraylar firm, representing the Turkish companies working to diversify and increase economic exchanges with the island, which in this period reached 90 million dollars, according to its owner Omer Giray at the opening TURKEY EXPO 2012, an event that inspired the opening of the bazaar.
This is not the first Turkish establishment has Cuba, but the most extensive and comprehensive; in Obispo Street in the early twentieth century there was a similar one that sold similar products and the owner was a Turkish based in the Island
