Turkish women transform traditional handicrafts into small businesses

In Turkey, women are turning traditional handicrafts and personal hobbies into successful small businesses.

In the Atakum district of Samsun, Elif Aydoğdu Akbal, a mother of three, has opened a workshop to fulfill a childhood dream of candle making. After studying wall decoration arts at Ondokuz Mayıs University and previously working with scented stones in Diyarbakır, Akbal now uses custom molds to design and produce various scented candles and decorative objects in her 40-square-meter studio.

Similarly, in Çorum, an artisan who grew up in Switzerland has transitioned from taking municipal handicraft courses to running an international business. After training in ebru art, wood carving, and mosaics at the Velipaşa Women's Culture Center, she began producing custom mosaic paintings and ornaments. Her business has expanded from local orders to supplying government institutions in Ankara and shipping products to various provinces in Turkey and several African countries.