About Us
Our Story:
In the 1960's, our family created a business in Istanbul selling products in Istanbul's one and only world famous Grand Bazaar. For over 50 years, we have introduced travelers of the bazaar to the deep artistic and cultural heritage of Anatolia through items such as jewelry, ceramic pottery, lamps, and fabrics that reflect the region's rich and diverse history.
Ever since its founding, our shop has partnered directly with the Anatolian artists and manufacturers of the products in what is now central Turkey. This was a unique strategy at the time and remains our primary differentiation more than 50 years later. Without any middlemen in our supply chain, we have been able to offer honest and decent living wages to the artists while maintaining the best prices in the Istanbul market.
In 2010, the shop founder's grand-daughter, Ozge, came to the United States to continue her education. Ozge dressed differently than other students, wore different jewelry, and decorated her apartment with vibrant mementos from home. Ozge observed her American friends had high interest in Anatolian handmade products, especially their designs, colors, and motifs. They would often ask Ozge to bring them back something from her trips home, and occasionally would visit Istanbul themselves, finding their way all the way to Ozge's family's shop in the Grand Bazaar, where they could meet her brother and introduce themselves as friends from the US before purchasing.
Her friends' interest got Ozge thinking, curious as to what Anatolian products were available for purchase in the US. Her searches consistently revealed three things: limited selection, inconsistent quality, and high prices. It turned out that access to these products in the US was very costly and challenging due to lack of sufficient logistics. Given her family's competitive advantage had always been in supply chain logistics, Ozge was inspired to take on the challenge of bringing the sought-after Anatolian art products efficiently to the US. She thought improving their selection, quality, and affordability would be met with strong demand.
Today, we believe our US customers deserve to access this beautiful Anatolian cultural heritage at a reasonable price, and we strive to provide the best selection and quality everyday.
Our Mission
Our mission is to bring the exceptional cultural heritage of Anatolia to your home. At Kafthan, we provide low price, high-quality, and one-of-a kind handmade gifts and decorative art to our customers.
Our Goal
Our goal is to make handmade and elite Anatolian gifts and decorative art accessible for everyone.
Our Passion
Our passion is expanding the awareness and appreciation for Anatolian arts and crafts while providing a living income directly to the many talented artists and craftsmen we work with through ethical fair-trade practices.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be the world’s first and largest destination for Anatolian products – outside of visiting Anatolia itself!