SHOPPING

It takes a bit of bravery to participate in an auction at Fener Antik Mezat. Held

four days a week, the generally packed room seethes with people, and folding chairs groan as bidders eagerly throw up their hands to claim curios on sale. Prices climb rapidly from a few lira to hundreds. When one particularly big purchase is made, the spectators, who often spill out the door, cheer raucously.

These auction houses harken back to a time when Balat was, in one of its many iterations, known as the Jewish quarter and filled

with shops packed with trinkets and odd bod items. It, along with the historically Greek Fener (just adjacent), still maintain a feeling of the past. It would take a patient mind to sift through its wealth of antiques and vintage shops.

The items found in the auction houses come from a range of sources: other markets, old houses and the çekçekçi (junk collectors), with whom the managers of Fener Antik Mezat can often be seen haggling with outside. When the deal goes well, a sack filled with things

is hauled inside to be sorted through.

At 3pm on a Wednesday, an experienced crowd begins filtering into Fener Antik’s small wooden auction room, examining the rows of vases, watches, paintings, random swatches of material and old throw rugs that have been put out on display. They are a sharp-eyed mix, from a range of backgrounds. There are vintage-clad hipsters with clipboards in search of decorations for homes, or to resell at their own shops around the city. There are well-

The neighborhoods

of Fener and Balat

are unique areas of

Istanbul in which hipster

coffee shops and artist

enclaves mingle with

a conservative, deeply

historical neighborhood.

It is also, fittingly, packed

with auction houses –

places where one person’s

trash is set to become

another’s treasure. That

is, if you can keep up with

the auctioneer…

THE GUIDE ISTANBUL 40

EXPLORING THE AUCTIONS OF FENER-BALAT

BY MONICA LIAU

Going twice…

dressed women with hawkish stares. There is also a large group of senior citizens, one of which tells us “I’m here because I always find something interesting.”

By 4pm, the auction begins. The auctioneer, a young man with a sleek, pointed beard, speaks in lightning-fast tones and enthusiastic descriptions, no matter if he’s holding a priceless painting, or kitsch item that looks lifted from an old granny's house. You need quick hands in this environment. When the auctioneer yells “sattım!” bidding is finished and the item is brought over to the

often exaltant new owner. After half an hour, the room develops a humming rhythm and items fly by. One older gentleman walks away with a bundle of lace doilies for 10 TL. A young woman buys a used iPad stand for 12 TL. A full Turkish coffee set is sold for 35 TL, a small landscape painting for 80 TL. On the weekends, there are many more auctions happening around the neighborhood, from the classy Antik Cibali to the Porto Fenari Mezat, where you can recline in velvet chairs with tea while you consider how to spend your cash.

LIFESTYLE&FASHION

TAKE ACTIONFeel inspired? There are weekend and weekday options, and they’re generally open to the public. If you’re seeking particular items, head to the spots early to get a gander at the goods going up that day, and to choose a prime seat near the front.

ANTİK CİBALİ & TEOS ANTİK MEZATThis spot is a little better organized (and less dusty) than many of the other auction shops, and tends to sell sleeker and more covetable items, like unusual blue vases, old wooden trunks, vintage cameras.Auction days – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday: 3pm. Hızır Çavuş Köprübaşı Sokak, No.80, Balat.

BALAT ANTİK MEZATDon’t feel like you can face the competitive masses? Try bidding online. New items pop up on the Facebook feed of this group, and people put in their offers. Auction days – Online auction on Facebook, Balat Antik Mezat page

FENER ANTİK MEZATAuctions here are popular, friendly and almost always fill up. Most items don’t go for more than 50 TL, so it's a grab bag in terms of quality. Make sure you bring cash.Auction days – Wednesday, Friday-Sunday: 3pm-8pmVodina Caddesi No.138, Balat; T: 0532 587 77 49

PORTO FENARİ MEZATThis place is for older pros (generally men), and filled with paintings set in hefty gilt frames, classic Ottoman furniture and heavy rugs. Come prepared to spend.Auction days – Saturday, Sunday: 3pm-8pmYıldırım Caddesi No.16, Balat; T: (0212) 521 94 18

41 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017