street art, location: Istanbul

Nazar Boncuk

Turkish name for the amulet that protects one from the evil eye is nazar boncuk.

But what is behind this turkish superstition? Once upon a time … there was a rock by the sea that even with the force of a hundred men and a lot of dynamite couldn’t be moved or cracked. There was also a man in this town by the sea, who was known to carry the evil eye (Nazar). After much effort and endeavor, the town people brought the man to the rock, and the man, upon looking at the rock said, “My God ! What a big rock !” The instant he said it, there was a rip, roar and crack, and instantly the immense and impossible rock was found to be cracked in two.

The force of the evil eye (nazar) is a widely accepted and feared element in Turkish daily life.
As an example of this fear let me tell you another story… A woman gives birth to a healthy child with pink cheeks, all the neighbors come and see the baby. They shower the baby with compliments, commentating especially on how healthy and chubby the baby is. After getting so much attention weeks later the baby gets ill. No explanation can be found for his illness. It is described as “Nazar”. Compliments made to a specific body part can result in “Nazar”. That’s why nearly every Turkish mother fixes with a safety pin this small amulet on the child’s clothes. Once this amulet is found cracked, it means it has protected the baby and immediately a new one has to replace it.

So the idea is to protect yourself, your house, your office or the beloved ones.The Nazar amulet can be seen dangling from the bumpers of taxi cabs, pinned to the clothes of babies, built into the foundation of modern office buildings, guarding the doorways of kebap houses and in websites. If you want to use it in your house you should hang it in the entrance of the house, so any visitor will see it. If you want to wear, the most common one is a small amulet that can be hanged on your cloth, or your bag. Also you will find bracelet, earring or necklaces in different forms and shapes to be used.

Turkish people believe that with the evil eye amulet you will be protected and all the bad energy will be directed to the amulet and it will brake. No bad energy will reach you since you are protected with the amulet of nazar boncuk. Have you just had a new child? Bought a new car? Built a new office building? Worried that your “friends” and others are filled with envy about your good fortune? The protection of the Nazar is used for anything new or likely to attract praise. The belief is that even well-intentioned compliments include a conscious or unconscious dose of envy and resentment. The bead reflects the evil intent back to the onlooker. It somewhat resembles an eye and it is said the typical blue color is a factor in protecting the user.

information & images sourced from Nazar Boncuk and google