Turkish-style "luxury" hand washing

kolonya culture

While commercial hand sanitizers are selling out in other countries, Turks are using a traditional perfume as a hand sanitizer that is both fragrant and cleansing: kolonya.

Kolonya simply means cologne. Kolonya perfume has been a symbol of hospitality and health in Türkiye since the Ottoman Empire. It is often called the “national scent” of the people here.

Traditionally, this sweet scent, made from fig, jasmine, rose or citrus, is used to lightly dab the hands of guests upon entering homes, hotels, hospitals, after a meal in a restaurant, or during religious ceremonies. Unlike other natural scents, this highly concentrated alcohol-based perfume kills over 80% of germs and can be used as an effective hand sanitizer.

So when Türkiye’s health minister praised kolonya, it not only inspired a wave of national media coverage of the traditional perfume’s anti-viral powers, but also prompted people to become chemists and create the unique hand sanitizer. Since Turkey confirmed its first case of coronavirus, sales of some major kolonya perfume manufacturers have increased at least fivefold.

Istanbul-based doctor Hatira Topaklı explains that kolonya has the ability to kill bacteria because it contains at least 60% alcohol (usually 80%). So it’s no surprise that commercial hand sanitizers/gels are not popular in Türkiye. In particular, people “don’t need to learn how to protect themselves from the coronavirus anymore,” as they are used to using kolonya every day.

The Turkish government even ordered a reduction in ethanol supplies in gasoline to boost the production of kolonya perfume and other disinfectants, in the fight against Covid-19.

Atelier Rebul is one of Türkiye’s oldest and most famous commercial kolonya brands. Kerim Müderrisoğlu, CEO of Rebul Holding, which owns the brand, revealed that the production of kolonya is quite simple. First, pure ethanol is made from fermented barley, grapes, molasses, or potatoes mixed with distilled water. Then, natural flavors such as magnolia, lemon, or rosemary are added, and the wine is sealed for at least 7-10 days, but usually 3 weeks, before bottling.

As a symbol of hospitality and health, kolonya is more than just a disinfectant. It has also been a source of comfort for many Turks during uncertain times. Kolonya has accompanied everyone who has been in Turkey. And now, in social distancing, the scent of kolonya is a reminder of closeness and care.

Kolonya is ancient, but rose water is even older. Since the 9th century, people of the Arabian Peninsula have used rose water for fragrance, culinary, beauty, religious ceremonies, and medicinal purposes. Persians, Egyptians, and Ottomans also used rose water for cleansing and welcoming guests. By the 19th century, eau de cologne had traveled the “Silk Roads” from Cologne, Germany, to the Ottoman Empire. When Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamit II first encountered it, he tweaked the recipe by mixing traditional rose water with the novelty of foreign alcohol-based perfumes to create kolonya.

There isn't much difference between eau de cologne and kolonya. Both have similar proportions of ethanol and essential oils, and are often combined with scents like orange and lemon. What makes kolonya unique is how it is used.

By the early 20th century, kolonyas were extremely popular. Thanks to chemists. In Istanbul, a young French chemist named Jean Cesar Reboul opened one of Turkey’s first pharmacies in 1895. Together with his apprentice Kemal Müderrisoğlu (Kerim’s grandfather), they created one of Turkey’s most famous kolonyas under the brand Atelier Rebul. Today, Atelier Rebul still sells the signature Rebul Lavanda perfume, made from lavender grown in Reboul’s garden. Kerim estimates that their kolonya sales have increased eightfold since the pandemic began.

“It has the convenience of a hand sanitizer, but the distinctive fashion of a classic perfume,” Kerim explains.

Meanwhile, on the Aegean coast in the city of Izmir, the youngest chemist in the Ottoman Empire, Süleyman Ferit Bey, packed his bags and headed to Grasse, France, in the 1920s. He went there to learn French perfume-making techniques. Unlike many who were easily seduced by the city’s luxuries, he returned home to create another famous kolonya called Golden Drop, which later became the symbol of Izmir.

Around the same time, in Ankara, an entrepreneur named Eyüp Sabri Tuncer created a kolonya from lemons grown in the coastal town of Çeşme. It became one of Turkey’s most popular and recognizable kolonyas. His brand remains one of the country’s leading perfume makers. Tuncer was also the first to promote the product in Turkey through free samples and information leaflets when it was first launched.

One by one, smaller towns began to create their own kolonya, using unique ingredients that were rarely found elsewhere, according to Elizabet Kurumlu, a tour guide in Istanbul. Isparta, for example, produces kolonya that smells sweetly of roses. Communities near the Black Sea have kolonya that smells faintly of tobacco. Others have kolonya with fig flowers, pistachios, jasmine, and magnolia.

Just as wine is named after the family that owns it, kolonya perfume carries the prestige of a family, and the most prestigious brands are named after their founders. Kolonya has become a status symbol, so the bottles that house it are individually designed and elaborately decorated. Some bottles have become collectibles. Rare Ottoman-era bottles have sold for up to 5,000 Turkish lira (about £600) at auction. In Istanbul, there are beautiful kolonya bottles on display in the Orlando Carlo Calumeno Collection and Archive at Galeri Birzamanlar.

In the mid-20th century, kolonya began to be industrially produced. Thanks to its more affordable price, kolonya appeared in almost every Turkish family.

It is said that Kolonya is as necessary in the house as food in the refrigerator. Usually, Turks keep a bottle in the bedroom, bathroom and living room. Always in sight. It is also indispensable in the teaching of etiquette and politeness. Kurumlu recalls: “When I was a child, I was responsible for welcoming guests and making sure they always had three things: kolonya, candy and cigarettes.”

Kolonya is also a common sight at gatherings and religious holidays like Ramadan. Kolonya is not only a welcome gift, but also a wish for good health. In Türkiye, caring for the health of guests is a sign of hospitality.

Tourists to Türkiye may have come across a bottle of kolonya in their hotel room, a high-end restaurant dressing room, or even been offered a kolonya at the end of a long bus ride.

Kolonya not only kills bacteria, but also has many other health benefits. A few drops on a sugar cube will aid digestion. Rubbing kolonya on the temples can relieve headaches. So whenever Turks visit a sick person, they give them kolonya or a bag of oranges.

Even before the coronavirus, the kolonya business was thriving. Traditionally, perfumes were sold in pharmacies, supermarkets, or department stores. But over the past decade, kolonya brands have also started opening their own stores. Atelier Rebul opened its first store in 2013 and now has 22 stores across Turkey. They have also begun expanding internationally, distributing to Europe, the Middle East, and partnering with a Japanese pharmaceutical company. They will also expand their factory to meet increased demand due to Covid-19.

“In the past, you would hardly find kolonya outside Türkiye. But that will change very soon,” Kerim said.

Outside of trendy boutiques, kolonya is still widely distributed across Türkiye. But as supply chains tighten amid high demand amid the Covid-19 pandemic, some people have taken to making their own kolonya to ensure they have enough for personal use. Kurumlu explains that ethanol, the base of kolonya, is also an ingredient in traditional cherry liqueur, so many households already have a bottle on hand.

“Before the coronavirus era, only a few people made kolonya themselves,” Kerim says. “Now everyone is asking: Is there enough kolonya at home?”

These days, Turkish life is confined to the house. They have more time to contemplate life - something they could hardly do in the hustle and bustle of the past. They suddenly realize that the most powerful use of kolonya is not disinfection, nor beauty. It is like a river transporting memories. Kolonya takes them to the lavender fields in Isparta stretching endlessly under the summer sun. Kolonya takes them back to the night parties in the smoky and alcoholic bars on the Bosphorus. Each time they use kolonya, their anxiety seems to calm down. The faint scent reminds each of them that soon we will create new memories, as purple as those lavender fields.

Reputable kolonya perfume brands in Türkiye

Atelier Rebul:One of the oldest kolonya perfume brands. The lavender scent is the brand’s signature product. In addition to pharmacies, supermarkets, and perfume shops, Atelier Rebul has 22 of its own stores across Türkiye and an online sales website.

Eyüp Sabri Tuncer:Most famous for its lemon scent, Tuncer has many versions corresponding to locations such as: Basilica Cisterns, Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, Bosphorus, Spice Market... In addition, they also have countless other scent-related products such as wet wipes or toothpaste.

Selin:Believed to be the first brand to produce kolonya in Turkish history, Selin first launched it in 1912 in Izmir under the name Altın Damlası Kolonyası (Golden Drop Cologne). The perfume became a prestigious gift given by anyone visiting Izmir.

Pereja:A nostalgic kolonya perfume brand, founded in 1967 with the presence of then Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel. Their lemony Kolonya remains one of the most iconic Turkish fragrances from the 70s to the present.

Due:Founded in 1927 in Erzurum, Duru is another famous Turkish kolonya brand that has stood the test of time. Duru has expanded into a wide range of floral personal care products, such as Arko, and produces 300 tons of soaps per year along with a variety of classic kolonyas.

Tariş:One of the most prestigious brands of olive oil in Türkiye also has a very popular kolonya line with a rare aroma of fig, olive blossom and green tea.

Vakko:Kolonya is a luxurious and elegant brand with prominent lines such as Retro Gardenia, White Suede Musk, White Tea and Cedar Atlas. It is also considered one of the most premium kolonya brands for gifts.

Ha Le