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Warning about souvenirs!
Turkey has strict legislation to protect its cultural heritage. Anyone wanting to take antiques out of the country regardless of the legislation must be prepared for severe punishment.
Turkey is a treasure trove of beautiful bays, beaches and mountains dominating over 6000 kilometers of coastline. Holiday-makers can not only bask in the sun but also transport themselves back in time, for the Mediterranean coast of Turkey boasts many ancient ruins of cities, revealing traces of Roman, Greek, Persian and Ottoman civilizations among others.
The stone remains of these bygone days are dotted around all over the place – you will see them casually lying by the side of the road or offered for sale by savvy traders.
But be warned if you want to take any relics home as souvenirs, such as ancient coins you have bought at the bazaar or beautiful stones from the beach:
The “Law on the Protection of Cultural and Natural Assets” was introduced in 1983 and prohibits the export of ancient artifacts. Whoever takes home ancient stones they have bought or picked up is committing a criminal rather than trivial offence – entailing sentences of up to ten years in prison.
Uwe Jacob experienced for himself just how strict the Turkish authorities can be. The 44-year-old German was arrested at Antalya airport in January 2004. Customs officers had discovered a fragment of an ancient column in his luggage, which he had bought from a trader. When he bought the fragment, he had been assured it was an imitation slab. A mistake for which Jacob had to pay dearly. He was convicted of smuggling antiques and sentenced to 16 months in prison. After bail of EUR 9000 was paid, Uwe Jacob was released after six weeks.
The Federal Foreign Office has issued clear guidelines to make sure tourists do not knowingly fall foul of Turkish law: Explicit warnings are given against buying ancient coins, fossils, etc. from traders or even picking them up from the ground yourself. Police and customs authorities have a broad interpretation of antiques. Any processed stone may be considered an antique. Because it is practically impossible for travelers to recognize whether a particular object is protected as an antique, travelers who do not have the proper authorization from the relevant Turkish authorities should generally refrain from taking home stones, coins, fossils and ancient-looking objects in their luggage.
Any archeological objects found under water are also protected. Wherever amphora and other relics of ancient cultures are likely to be found, divers and snorkelers must comply with the law: they're welcome to look, but must not touch or remove the artifacts!
What can you take back?
So what are dangerous souvenirs – and what aren't? And how can mistakes be avoided?
We have compiled the following list of the most important regulations for Turkey and included a few tips:
- Do not take any antiques, antiquities, historical coins, seals and decorations with you out of the country.
- Tourists are sometimes sold ancient objects with the assurance that they are only copies. You should still refrain from buying any stones that look ancient or processed.
- If you have purchased copies of ancient artifacts from a specialist trader, always make sure you are given a certificate and receipt.
- Minerals and fossils may only be taken out of the country with the permission of the Mineral Resources Institute in Ankara . Because people rarely have time to go to the capital city during their holiday to present what they have found, they are generally advised to refrain from removing any minerals or fossils they find or from buying them from traders.
- New carpets may be taken out of the country. If you buy a new carpet, make sure you get a certificate or at least a receipt. Do not buy any antique carpets, as these may only be taken out of the country with an official certificate issued by a museum (involving a lot of red tape).
- Turkey is rich in handicrafts, which can be taken out of the country without any problem, for example gold jewelry, meerschaum pipes, leather goods, painted ceramics, carvings and inlay work out of wood, containers made of brass and copper as well as luxury foodstuffs such as spices, honey and apple tea.
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