Turkey’s evil eye

A collection of evil eyes set in the concrete before a shop in Bodrum's old bazaar. Photo by David Lansing.

We are walking through the shaded alleyways around the “old bazaar” in Bodrum (I put it in quotes because everyone refers to it as the old bazaar but there’s really nothing old about it) when Brienneh says she wants to get an evil eye. I ask her why she wants an evil eye. She shrugs. “To bring back as gifts to friends.”

Brienneh has just moved back to New York. She lived in Los Angeles for awhile but couldn’t handle the commute. Her job was in West Hollywood but she lived in Long Beach or something (which is like working in Manhattan but deciding to live in Boston).

Anyway, Brienneh wants an evil eye. And god knows there are plenty to choose from in the little shops lining the shaded alleyways. In fact, I have never seen so many evil eyes in one place. Bodrum, always looking for new ways to attract tourists, could probably put up a billboard outside town proclaiming it to be the “Evil Eye Capital of the World.” From the thousands of evil eyes I’ve seen, I don’t see how anyone could dispute this claim.

An evil eye on a Turkish airplane.

The evil eye (called mavi boncuk or nazar concugu in Turkey) has been around in the Middle East forever. Like over thousands of years. You’ll find these amulets not only in Turkey but also in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Greece, and even Azerbaijan. You’ll find the evil eye on necklaces, babies’ clothing, tattoos, on farm animals. You can even find it on the tail fin of a certain Turkish airline.

The evil eye is not meant to bring bad luck to anyone; it’s supposed to be a positive force. It’s meant to protect you, to ward away evil forces and spirits. When someone in Turkey moves in to a new apartment or house, it’s likely that one or more of their friends will give them an evil eye as a housewarming present. And they’ll hang it next to the doorway of their house or even on a bedroom wall. And there it will stay. For years; for decades. Keeping away the bad things in life. Or so everyone hopes.

Now that I think about it, maybe Brienneh is on to something. Maybe I should buy an evil eye or two to take home as well. Couldn’t hurt.