Rich history and a direct relationship to the ancient is central to why we travel to Türkiye, and specifically Istanbul, as the source of our jewelry production and inspiration. For thousands of years, Istanbul sat at the center of global power and commerce, first as Byzantium under Greek and Persian influence, later as Constantinople within the Eastern Roman Empire, and eventually as the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Control of the city passed through the hands of history’s most influential figures, including Constantine the Great, Justinian, Mehmed the Conqueror, and Suleiman the Magnificent. As the capital of two of the largest empires in history, it became a breeding ground for some of the most significant advancements in civilization. Constantinople’s imperial scriptoria were pivotal in the continuous copying of the works of Aristotle, Plato, Hippocrates, and Galen, enabling the reintroduction of ancient philosophy and medicine to modern society. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, shortly after ascending the throne in 533 CE, compiled the Corpus Juris Civilis, an operational legal system that later became the foundation of German legal systems, French civil law, and modern contract and property law. Engineering marvels such as the Hagia Sophia, the Theodosian Walls, and Roman aqueducts, all constructed in Constantinople between 368 and 537 CE, established new standards in mathematical geometry and influenced the development of European domed architecture, medieval military fortifications, and modern water infrastructure, respectively. These achievements, among many others, emerged before many European capitals even existed and still stand today, having never been abandoned but continuously maintained by the empires that shared these crossroads.
When exploring Istanbul today, you brush shoulders with the ancient at every corner. Whether driving through Roman aqueducts, thrifting in the shadow of the 678 year old Galata Tower, or steaming in a 570 year old bathhouse, the ancient and modern are woven throughout the fabric of the city. Within half an hour, you can move from the grounds of the famed Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, built in the 1560s in the historically conservative district of Üsküdar on the Asian side, to boarding a ferry across the Bosphorus and enjoying an ice cold beer at Cafe 21 in Cihangir, a European side neighborhood whose graffiti lined streets feel more reminiscent of Paris or Berlin. You might pass a mother and daughter, the former in a traditional headscarf, the latter with purple hair and a tattoo sleeve on her left arm. A fisherman stands day and night along the Bosphorus at the same spot where his ancestors caught fish generations before. Thousands of years of history are stacked one atop another, sometimes even sharing the same building facade. Walking through the Grand Bazaar, you pass shop stalls that were once commissioned by the Ottoman Palace to produce bespoke jewelry, textiles, arms, and luxury goods. It is likely that the shopkeeper you strike up a conversation with is connected by lineage to the artisans of mystics from more than 550 years ago, and even more likely that they are still using the same techniques refined and passed down through generations.
dalga’s mission is to bring you back to the source of ancient quality. There are few places where traditional craftsmanship and contemporary form meet as seamlessly as they do in Istanbul. With patience, clear vision, and respect for craft, almost anything can be accomplished in a matter of days. We have traveled thousands of miles, multiple times per year, to repair family heirlooms, create bespoke engagement rings, form lasting partnerships, and craft our Nexus Collection. Along the way, we have found shops on our own and hit dead ends, convinced local family members to act as business partners, discovered new ateliers to begin design work, nearly sat on cats, and spent hours over tea without ever mentioning jewelry, only to be told what we hoped to create was not their specialty. We have felt dejected, then reignited, following a thirteen year old apprentice through a maze of corridors to a hidden workshop, where, in the midst of delirium, we were introduced as friends of a trusted shopkeeper and told we would receive the same prices, no higher. With enough persistence in this place, it feels as though a higher power guides you to the source of your inspiration and ultimately to the creator itself. It is not until you have braved this ancient maze that you understand the significance and honor of taking the long, intentional route to quality production. You meet the people you are meant to meet, forming friendships and creating quality armor that lasts. And to top it all off, you can stop at a hundred year old restaurant on the way home to celebrate a day’s hard work. There is no place like Istanbul, the gateway of worlds and time.
