The History of Handmade Turkish Glass Industry

​The History of Handmade Turkish Glass Industry
By [http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Chip_Tolaney/257133]Chip Tolaney 

Glass is a vital part of the modern environment. We see it and use it in some way everyday, and its use is widespread from the simple drinking glass to the development of sophisticated technical equipment. Indeed, the use of glass encompasses so many aspects of our lives that we hardly notice its presence. But glass was not always present in everyday life. The discovery of glass is widely thought to be an accident. 

According to the Greek historian Pliny, a group of merchants lit a fire in a riverbed and found pieces of the shimmering, translucent material the next morning, after the fires had been put out. In its earliest stages in Egypt and Mesopotamia, glass was used as a form of art more than anything else, and was not used for the practical purposes that we use it for today.

Handmade Turkish glass has long been acknowledged as some of the most beautiful craftsmanship in the history of glass making. The history of glassware in Turkey began around the eleventh century and Istanbul was established as the center of the Ottoman Turkish glass industry soon after the conquest. During the era of Ottoman rule, glassware was slowly developed and its art was made more precise than in previous centuries. By the seventeenth or eighteenth century, glassware made in Turkey was making great strides.

Since the up rise of the Turkish glass industry, it has become increasingly more popular for its delicate and fragile appearance. As far as glass making goes, it is some of the most delicate glass in existence, due both to its thinness and its intricate detail. Turkish-Islamic glass art places perfection in the balance of lines and color in precise geometric patterns. 

Today, Turkey made glass is considered a rare and beautiful work of art, prized by the cultural art connoisseur. While the production of stained glass window tiles and mirrors have always been widespread among Turkish glass makers, the carving of rock crystals into jugs, flasks, bottles, and other unique and sturdy serving dishes has been of the greatest use to the world as a whole. 

With the popularity of glass products rising, the industry now encompasses approximately ninety percent of the world's glass production. Turkish glass makers' attention to detail, high level of production, outstanding design, and excellent quality have placed this industry among the wealthiest and most desirable pieces of glassware in the world.

Chip Tolaney operates [http://www.culturalelements.com]Cultural Home Decor store and shares cool cultural facts about [http://www.culturalelements.com/blog]Ethnic Home Decor on his blog.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-History-of-Handmade-Turkish-Glass-Industry&id=2409243] The History of Handmade Turkish Glass Industry