Hand-made prayer beads to fetch 300,000 liras

MARDİN

Hand-made prayer beads produced by a craftsman in the southern province of Mardin 19 years ago has found a buyer for about 300,000 liras ($47,800).

A businessman from Dubai laid his eyes on the prayer beads, which were reportedly manufactured using Ottoman designs and pieces and said to be stored in a special box for years.

Saying that the pieces from the Ottoman period are sold in grams, Kemal Bozkurt, the craftsman, said that their prices are high for this reason.

“I describe these prayer beads as a historical work. These prayer beads mean a lot to me,” Bozkurt said.

“I have worked on these prayer beads for weeks and I did not sell them, although hundreds of people wanted them for 19 years. But now I decided to sell them. We received an offer from Dubai and our negotiations are about to be completed,” he added.

In Turkey, there is a strong bond between men and prayer beads, especially in rural areas.