Turkish folk costumes reflect roots from the Balkans, Central Asia

The folk costumes of Anatolia, which originate from the area of the Balkans to Central Asia, show great variety, but most have two things in common: they consist of layers and open at the front, to allow both men and women to lead an active outdoor life.

Fatma Koc, associate professor at the Faculty of Arts and Design at Gazi University in Ankara, told Al-Monitor that for centuries tribes that came from Central Asia to Anatolia continued wearing their traditional attire. “There are two crucial features [of folk costumes] across the region, one of which is that the outfits consist of layers. The other is that they were not sewed up at the front.”

Rich embroidery on cepken (jacket) and the hems of traditional costumes of Antalya, a city on the Mediterranean coast (Gazi University of Ankara)