Nazar (amulet)

Amulet

A typical nazar is made of handmade glass featuring concentric circles or teardrop shapes in dark blue, white, light blue and black, occasionally with a yellow/gold edge. "The bead is made of a mixture of molten glass, iron, copper, water, and salt, ingredients that are thought to shield people from evil."

"According to Turkish belief, blue acts as a shield against evil and even absorbs negativity." In the Middle East and the Mediterranean, "blue eyes are relatively rare, so the ancients believed that people with light eyes, particularly blue eyes, could curse you with just one look. This belief is so ancient, even the Assyrians had turquoise and blue-eye amulets."

Eye bead

The Turkish boncuk (sometimes called a göz boncuğu or eye bead) is a glass bead characterized by a blue glass filled with a blue white and black dot superimposed on a white or yellow center. A design of great antiquity, the blue bead has gained importance as an item of popular culture in modern Turkey. The bead likely originated in the Mediterranean and is associated with the development of glassmaking. Written documentation and extant beads date from as early as the 16th century BCE. Glass beads were made and widely used throughout the ancient world: from Mesopotamia to Egypt, from Carthage to ancient Greece, from Phoenicia to Persia, and throughout the Roman imperial period.

The mythology behind it says that if one of the beads breaks down, it means a very strong nazar has hit the wearer, and the bead stored it all up and broke down in order to protect them. TurkishClass101.com (2017) Learn Turkish - Level 2: Absolute Beginner. Innovative Language Learning.

Gallery

File:Nazar.jpg|Nazar-inspired sculpture in the Netherlands. File:Evil eye.jpg|Nazar evil eye charms. File:Cheshm-Nazar.JPG|A Persian cheshm nazar. File:Nazar on the door.jpg|Nazar on a newborn baby's hospital room door in Turkey. File:Jewish Amulets.jpg|A selection of Jewish amulets, an ayin mazal is visible next to the hamsa.

References

Sources

References

1. Khan, Abdul Jamil. (2006). "Urdu/Hindi: An Artificial Divide: African Heritage, Mesopotamian Roots, Indian Culture & British Colonialism". Algora Publishing.
2. Williams, Victoria (2016). ''Celebrating Life Customs Around the World: From Baby Showers to Funerlan'', p.344. ABC-CLIO. {{ISBN. 9781440836596. "nazar boncugu".
3. M. Moin: ''A Persian Dictionary, 3rd edition'', p. 4752 (in Persian).
4. (2001). "South Asian Cinema, Volume 1, Issue 1". South Asian Cinema Foundation.
5. (22 May 2009). "Nazar boncugu—blue glass Evil Eye bead". [[British Journal of Ophthalmology]].
6. Fallon, S.W. (1879). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=mxsYAAAAYAAJ&q=Nazar+-david+evil A New Hindustani-English Dictionary]'', p.1164. Lazarus. {{pre-ISBN}}. "''nazar lagānā'', v. a. To cast an evil eye upon; to regard with evil intent. [by an evil eye.
   ''nazar lagnā, yā khānā'', v. n. To be influenced"
7. Clark-Decès, Isabelle; ed. (2011). ''A Companion to the Anthropology of India'', p.228. Wiley. {{ISBN. 9781405198929. "nazar lagana".
8. "🧿 Nazar Amulet Emoji".
9. ''Lonely Planet Middle East. ''Lonely Planet; 6 edition, 2009, p. 559.
10. Sinclair, H. R. (2022). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=JBarEAAAQBAJ A Writer's Guide to Color]''. H. R. Sinclair.
11. 9781594748363.
12. 9781847889539.
13. 9781841624907. The evil eye, "generally takes the form of a blue-eye, because foreigners, were more likely to have blue eyes, were also more likely to stare, thereby unwittingly contravening local convention, and, by admiring the children or possessions of their hosts, accidentally casting the evil eye upon them."
14. Lynn, Heather (2019). ''Evil Archaeology'', p.167. Red Wheel Weiser. {{ISBN. 9781633411272.
15. Marchese, Ronald T.. (2005). "The Fabric of Life: Cultural Transformations in Turkish Society". Global Academic Publishing.