01.11.2025 11:57
In Gaziantep, prayer beads made from various precious stones dating back to the Ottoman Empire are being sold for up to 650,000 TL. The beads, made from different stones and materials, are sold at record prices depending on their quality and the date of their creation. These highly valuable prayer beads, which are being traded for cars and motorcycles, can find buyers for prices as high as 650,000 TL.
Amber, Oltu stone, coral, and turquoise are valuable stones, minerals, and materials used to make prayer beads, with prices starting from 15,000 TL and rising up to 650,000 TL. The prices of valuable prayer beads made from drop amber during the Ottoman period, which have not suffered any damage to this day, are sold at even higher prices.
100-YEAR-OLD AND 650,000 TL AMBER PRAYER BEAD DRAWS ATTENTION Haluk Sevmen, who has been making prayer beads for 8 years in the Yeni Han in the Şahinbey district of Şekeroğlu neighborhood, draws attention with his 100-year-old and 650,000 TL amber prayer bead. The amber prayer bead with a gold tassel from the Ottoman period attracts the interest of onlookers with its appearance and price. Haluk Sevmen, who treats the Ottoman amber, crafted by the best masters of the time, like his own eye, also produces other prayer beads upon order, which stand out with their features and prices. Sevmen, who loves making prayer beads from amber and is known among his friends as "the man who pushes the limits of amber," sends prayer beads to various countries around the world, especially Turkey. The prayer bead, which has a history of approximately 100 years and has preserved its originality to this day, attracts the attention of collectors with a price tag of 650,000 TL.
"MAKING PRAYER BEADS IS A PASSION FOR ME" Haluk Sevmen, the prayer bead master who says he loves his profession, stated, "I started the prayer bead business in December 2017. I was a person who loved prayer beads and was looking for a job. Therefore, I became interested in prayer beads. I entered this business by researching online and getting ideas from some masters and some of our big tradesmen. In 2018, I went to Kuwait. I worked on drop amber for 3.5 years in Kuwait. I returned to Turkey in 2020. I generally work on amber and Ottoman prayer beads. This job requires a complete desire, love, and passion. Making prayer beads is a passion for me. When pulling and making the prayer beads, you need to know your love and passion. The more you love the prayer beads, the more beautiful a product you will create," he said.
Sevmen, who generally appreciates the work of collectors, stated, "I have a certain customer potential on the internet. In Turkey, especially from the Gaziantep region, our big collector brothers and friends place orders with me. I make my prayer beads based on their orders. I do not have ready-made prayer beads. Every prayer bead has an owner. Every prayer bead is special to a person, and a prayer bead is, in my opinion, a true passion. Passion can turn into a hobby, but you need to love the prayer bead with passion. That’s why every master is viewed differently. Every master has a different working style and a different production method. When we look at the prayer bead, it needs to have a sense of integrity. The tassel, the end piece, and the signature on it need to be seen as a whole. I first design the prayer bead I will make in my mind. Then, I cut the prayer bead myself and process it on my lathe, turning it into such an art," he expressed.
"I LOVE ITS TEXTURE AND NATURAL FORM" Sevmen, who states that he loves his profession very much, said, "I really love the smell, texture, and natural formation of these stones. That’s why about 90% of my work is on this drop amber. In fact, my friends kindly call me 'the man who pushes the limits of amber.' We need to take a certain amount of grams from amber prayer beads. I try to get the highest grams possible. The one who makes, pulls, and sells the prayer bead must first look at the prayer bead with love. They need to be dedicated with love and passion," he said.
"PRAYER BEAD PRICES VARY ACCORDING TO QUALITY, STONE, AND MASTERSHIP" Sevmen stated that prayer bead prices vary according to quality, stone, and mastery, saying, "The making of a prayer bead takes me a minimum of 2 days. Depending on the size, measurement, and transparency of the prayer bead, it can take up to 2, 3, or 4 days. Drop amber is a transparent, rare product. This prayer bead took about 3 days of my time. It is a Turkish prayer bead with 33 beads. Its price is 2,500 dollars. I have an Arab prayer bead. It has 45 beads. It has muezzins at the bottom. This prayer bead is also approximately 3,000 dollars. I have a more transparent Arab-style prayer bead, a tulip model. The price of this prayer bead is also 2,500 dollars. I have an Ottoman prayer bead. Its master is Iskender. This Iskender prayer bead is hand-sized. The tip is 24-karat gold, and its price is 15,000 dollars. It is not easy to find these prayer beads. These prayer beads are very difficult to come by. When we do get them, we recommend them to our beloved collector customers," he concluded.