Turkish Evil Eye: The Reflections of an Ancient Anatolian Belief on Glass

Nazar boncugu is the blue bead believed to ward off evil. It is used as a protection from the negative energy presumed to spread from the glance of people. The beads should hung visibly so that they would stop the evil eye look. It is believed that the bead draws the energy to itself thus diffusing its power and rendering it ineffective. The charms are believed to reflect evil and protect the wearer from physical harm that can befall the object of “negative thinking.”

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.

Turkish people believe the envy of others can cause harm, whether intentionally or involuntarily. This “evil eye” can bring you back luck. Turkish people use “Nazar Boncugu” , literally “evil eye bead”, to guard against evil associated with envious or covetous eyes.

Nazars can be seen all around Turkey, 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 built into the code of websites like the following one which aims for renting pixel space to advertise your products to Turkish market and Turkish people all around of Turkey, http://www.milyonytlhomepage.com/ or some personal Turkish blog pages http://www.milyonytlhomepage.com/milyon/blog.asp

On my recent trip to Turkey, wherever I go, I have seen many blue evil eye stones and it was on top my shopping list to bring back to my friends as a precious gift from Turkey.