Meaning of the Evil Eye in Turkish Culture
In Turkish, the “evil eye” is called **nazar**, also commonly described as **göz değmesi**, meaning “being affected by someone’s gaze.” Nazar is a traditional belief that a person’s intense gaze can bring negative energy, misfortune, or harm to another person, animal, possession, or achievement. ## How Is Nazar Believed to Happen? According to Turkish folk belief, nazar may be caused when someone looks at something with: * Strong admiration * Jealousy * Envy * Excessive attention Interestingly, the person does not necessarily need to have bad intentions. Even a loving relative or close friend may unintentionally cause nazar by admiring someone too intensely. For example, after receiving many compliments, a person might suddenly develop a headache, break a valuable possession, experience an unexpected problem, or have a run of bad luck. In Türkiye, people may describe this by saying: * **“Nazar değdi.”** — “The evil eye affected them.” * **“Kem göz.”** — “The malicious or harmful eye.” ## “Maşallah” and “Nazar Değmesin” When Turkish people compliment someone or something, they often say **“Maşallah”** or **“Nazar değmesin.”** * **Maşallah** is said to express admiration while wishing that the person or thing remains protected. * **Nazar değmesin** means “May the evil eye not affect it.” For example, when someone sees a beautiful baby, a new car, or a successful business, they might say: **“Maşallah, nazar değmesin!”** “Wonderful—may the evil eye stay away!” These expressions are used as a cultural form of protection against the possible negative effects of excessive admiration. ## The Nazar Boncuğu: The Blue Evil Eye Bead The famous blue, eye-shaped glass charm seen throughout Türkiye is called the **nazar boncuğu**. You may find it: * Hanging in homes and workplaces * Inside cars * Attached to jewellery * Pinned to babies’ clothes * Given as a gift * Displayed at the entrances of shops and buildings Traditionally, the bead is believed to act as a protective shield. When someone directs jealousy, envy, or intense admiration toward you, the bead is thought to absorb or deflect that negative energy. If the bead unexpectedly cracks or breaks, some people interpret this as a sign that it successfully absorbed the nazar and protected its owner. They may say: **“Nazar çıktı, kaza defoldu.”** “The evil eye has been released, and misfortune has been driven away.” ## Knocking on Wood Another common tradition is knocking on wood after mentioning something positive. A Turkish person may say **“Aman, nazar değmesin”**—“May the evil eye stay away”—lightly pull their earlobe and knock on wood three times. This gesture is believed to prevent good fortune from being spoiled and to keep negative energy away. ## In Short The evil eye, or **nazar**, is a deeply rooted cultural belief in Türkiye. It refers to the idea that an intense gaze—whether caused by jealousy, envy, or even sincere admiration—may bring bad luck or harm. The blue nazar bead, saying **“Maşallah”**, wishing **“Nazar değmesin”**, and knocking on wood are traditional ways of seeking protection. Although nazar is a folk belief rather than a scientifically proven phenomenon, it remains an important and widely recognized part of everyday Turkish culture.
