The Turkish Evil Eye or Nazar: Is It More Than Just a Symbol?
About the protective power of the Nazar
If you’ve ever traveled to Turkey, you’ve seen them. Hanging in shop windows, embedded in doorways, woven into jewelry, or dangling from taxi mirrors — the deep blue eye, watching silently.
This is the “Nazar”, also known as the Turkish evil eye, a centuries-old talisman believed to protect against bad luck and negative energy. It’s one of the most recognizable symbols of Turkish culture, and yet, its significance goes far beyond a souvenir.
Unlike many travelers who pick one up on their first visit to Turkey, thinking it is just a pretty charm, I got my first Nazar as a gift, and I was educated right away about its significance and omnipresence in Turkish culture.
What is the Evil Eye or Nazar?
The evil eye is an ancient belief found across the Mediterranean, Middle East, and beyond. What’s the idea behind it? That envy or admiration, even unintentional, can bring bad luck or misfortune.
The Turkish nazar boncuğu, the blue glass bead with a stylized eye, is a powerful protective symbol against this unseen danger. It acts as a barrier, deflecting negative energy away from its owner.
You can see it:
pinned to babies’ clothing for protection from jealous glances
above doorways for shielding homes from unwanted energy
on taxis and buses to guard against accidents and bad luck
in jewelry and keychains acting as a personal shield against negativity.
The belief is so strong that many businesses, homes, and even government buildings have a nazar embedded somewhere, just in case.
Does it belong to Turkey?
Not at all.
The word “naẓar” comes from Arabic and stands for “surveillance” or “attention”.
The term is also used in Azerbaijani, Bengali, Hebrew, Hindi–Urdu, Kurdish, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Turkish, Greek and other languages. In Greece it is known as “máti” or “eye”. In Persian and Afghan folklore, it is called a “cheshm nazar” or “nazar qurbāni”. In India and Pakistan, the Hindi-Urdu slogan “chashm-e-baddoor” or “may the evil eye keep away” is used to ward off the evil eye. And in the Indian subcontinent, the phrase “nazar lag gai” is used to indicate that one has been affected by the evil eye.
A Tradition as Old as Time
The origins of the evil eye go back thousands of years, long before modern Turkey existed. The concept is found in Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, where people wore amulets or painted eye symbols on pottery and walls for protection.
Why blue?
One theory is that blue-eyed people were once rare in the Mediterranean, and their gaze was thought to hold special power, sometimes good and sometimes harmful. The deep blue color of the nazar was used to absorb and reflect negativity.
Over time, the Turks adopted the symbol, and Anatolian glassmakers perfected the art of making handcrafted nazar beads, a tradition that continues today.
A fun fact: some say that if your nazar bead breaks, it means it has absorbed negative energy and needs to be replaced!
Why the Nazar Fascinates Me?
I’m not a superstitious person, but I love how something so simple carries so much meaning.
Yes, the nazar is about avoiding bad luck, but it’s also about acknowledging unseen energy, appreciating tradition, and embracing a cultural connection that stretches across centuries and country borders.
Have you ever worn or owned a nazar? Do you believe in the evil eye? Let me know in the comments!
For more things Turkish, check out these posts:
Ancient Metropolis of Ephesus: UNESCO Sites in Turkey: Ephesus
Inside Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace: A Journey Through Ottoman History: UNESCO Sites in Turkey: Historic Areas of Istanbul
What I Like to Eat and Drink in Turkey: Because Turkish food isn’t just a meal — it’s an experience.
The Theatre and Aqueducts of the Ancient City of Aspendos, Turkey: A Timeless Marvel of Roman Engineering
Plus, February of my “2025 Calendar: 12 Countries in 12 Months” is dedicated to Turkey and its cultural gems.
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Fascinating! I really don’t know much of the history or superstition beyond just the phrase “evil eye” so this post was a welcome primer on the topic. Thanks!
I didn't know anything about this symbol either. The objects are very pretty!