Ekrem Şen’s Passion for Prayer Beads: A Collection of 3,600 Pieces in 10 Years
Ekrem Şen, a tradesman in Antalya, started his passion with a rosary gifted by a friend and has deepened over time by collecting more than 3,600 rosaries. Şen, who sells car audio systems, meticulously organizes this collection and keeps it in special bags. Ekrem Şen, who does not trade in rosaries, carefully selects each rosary he will add to his collection and protects it with great care.
Şen’s collection includes many valuable pieces such as Ottoman, jet, fire, squeezed, amber, zultanite, katalin, coral, turquoise, gold and silver inlaid handmade prayer beads. Ekrem Şen stated that his interest in prayer beads started with a gift from a friend and that this passion has continued for about 10 years.
Şen emphasized that he has collected more than 3,600 rosaries, each made of precious stones, and that there are no beads or plastic rosaries in his collection.
Value of Prayer Beads: Age and Quality
Şen, who expressed his great interest in handmade rosaries, especially those from the Ottoman period, said, “Rosary has become a passion for me now. I will continue to collect rosaries as long as I live. I cannot bear to sell a rosary that I have added to my collection.”
Şen, who drew attention to the fact that the value of the rosaries in his collection varies according to their type, age, quality and the skill of the craftsman who makes them, emphasized that he attaches importance to the spiritual value of the rosaries in his possession rather than their material value. Şen, who stated that he regularly follows rosary markets and auctions, stated that if he sees a rosary that he does not have, he definitely wants to add it to his collection.
Şen continued his words as follows: “I would go anywhere in Turkey for a rosary. The material aspect of the rosaries is of no importance to me. A rosary worth 100 thousand liras or a rosary worth 1 lira is the same for me. Because They have a collection value. They all have a memory, a keepsake. If someone says to me, ‘I’m giving 10 million for this’, I don’t feel like selling that rosary. valuable and this being worthless. In other words, there is the labor of the masters in these.”
Ottoman Period Prayer Beads and Depth of Knowledge
Şen stated that amber rosaries from the Ottoman period were extremely rare and interesting, and that these rosaries were both expensive and very rare. Şen, who stated that he did not have much knowledge about rosaries before, but learned all the details and subtleties over time, said, “We liked to hold the rosary in our hands and shake it, but the rosary is not shaken. The rosary is for reciting. Each of the rosary beads is a bead of patience. In other words, shaking the rosary is not appropriate for etiquette.”
Noting that he created a special area at his workplace to display his collection, Şen added that he plans to leave this valuable collection as a legacy to his children.
