To learn more about Eldoku and their products see their Cornucopia Marketplace profile and products…

Colours, fabrics, handicrafts, smiling and sad faces; women and men in their villages, in gecekondus (houses built overnight), in the happily mixed bazaars or along the footpath (at the side of the road)…

After living in Turkey for many years we – Manuela Görgü (Austrian) and Dorothea Atalay (German) – are still fascinated by the country, its culture and colour, its people and traditions. Nevertheless, we are aware of the tremendous gap within the society, east and west, city and countryside and especially between men and women.

Travelling through the countryside is a constant journey of discovery for us as we seek out artesans, especially women, who weave beautiful and practical things that we can share.

Eldoku’s vision is to marry the best of traditional crafts to a modern aesthetic and to draw attention to the traditional crafts in Turkey, to support the production of handwoven fabrics, and especially encourage socially disadvantaged women and cooperatives by helping them with production and access to the sales market.

Eldoku work together with female cooperatives, women who work from home, local workshops and small businesses. Every single item - produced in limited quantities - is carefully handmade by experts in their fields. It is difficult to make a living by practising a craft, this applies in particular to women.