Amulets from Anatolia: the material culture of the evil eye in Turkey

Abstract

Belief in the Evil Eye is strong in the Mediterranean region and equivalent practices based on ancient beliefs continue to exist across Anatolia today. In this context, the evil eye belief of Turkic peoples dates to early times within a pre-Islamic religious framework. Even with the Turks’ acceptance of Islam, evil eye belief continued side by side with the new faith. Over time, humans have developed practices to avoid evil and minimize fear and have likewise conferred power on prophylactic objects, combined with ritual practice, to ensure good fortune. Amulets based on such beliefs have an important place as protective items and are still found in popular use across Anatolia to prevent the negative outcomes of the envious gaze. In various forms and materials, they constitute a ubiquitous, if seldom studied, element of Turkish material culture. This paper presents and describes some common examples providing contextual information about their usage.

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