Local man donates Turkish cologne bottles he collected for 50 years

SAMSUN

A man who lives in the Black Sea province of Samsun has donated 500 bottles of Turkish cologne, “kolonya,” that he has collected over the past 50 years to his relatives since the coronavirus arrived in Turkey

After doctors suggested the cologne could be a substitute to handwashing, the main preventative measure against getting infected with COVID-19, Turks had scrambled to find bottles due to skyrocketing demand and companies running out of supply. This prompted the 88-year-old Necmi Hopaç, who lives in the Alaçam district, to open his unique collection of 3,000 bottles.

Cologne has a very important place in Turkish culture, with every house having one bottle at least stored.

The ethanol-based concoction’s high alcohol content can kill more than 80 percent of germs and act as an effective hand disinfectant, the doctors had said.

Explaining that he has bought various cologne types with different fragrances like lemon, figs, tangerines, olives and tobacco for years, Hopaç said that those who heard that he had a collection at home came to visit him constantly.

“My wife does not like cologne because she has asthma. I would buy cologne secretly from her and bring them home. I like my cologne bottles like they are my children,” Hopaç said.

“I hold the key of the room constantly and lock the room. I enter the room every day and look at my colognes,” he noted, adding his passion for the bottles.