At the Grand Bazaar’s Zincirli Inn is where Hraç Arslanyan learned murassa, a form of jewelry art. At the age of 10 he was working alongside his uncle and master Hagop Arslanyan, learning the craft.

With artistic work undertaken in many European cities, including Vienna, Cologne, Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris, he is one of the last representatives of this art in Turkey.

Murassa is the art of decorating metal objects with precious stones and minerals. It is known as a highly sophisticated level of jewelry art and dates back to the Ottoman era. In Ottoman palaces, there were jewelers called zergeran. Zerger is a word of Persian origin meaning someone who processes gold. This art is unfortunately close to being forgotten today.

Arslanyan, the master of this Turkish art, which decorated Ottoman palaces at one time, provides training at his workshop to transfer this art to the next generation. He said that students from the Balkans, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, including from Damascus, Tunisia, Algeria and Iran, attend his classes. He has given jewelry art certificates to nearly 500 students so far.

Creating authentic designs by blending Western and Eastern cultures in his workshop in Cağaloğlu, Arslanyan spoke about murassa art with Anadolu Agency (AA).

He said that this art has a significant place in the Ottoman palace arts and that the zengeran group in the palace comprised of craftsmen who were experts in various branches of jewelry making.

He pointed out that all his products are handmade and finely produced. "This is a family-run business for us. I took it as a heritage from my uncle. Our grand-uncle migrated from Tokat province to Istanbul in the 1920s and started jewelry making. Then, my uncle Hagop Arslanyan also came to Istanbul in the 1940s and learned the art of jewelry. I am the third generation in this business. In the past, Istanbul was so different. We were not rich families; we were craftsmen. Back then, we used to go to Erenköy for the summer. I broke my bike and became the naughty boy of the family. Therefore, I had to start working with my uncle when I was in third grade. I would walk to the Haydarpaşa train station alone from Erenköy, taking the ferry and going to Eminönü, then walking to the Zincirli Inn. I was doing the same on my way back. I continued to learn the art of jewelry together with my uncle in the semester and summer holidays until I finished high school. I won admission to Istanbul University’s Faculty of Economics. I went to class for six months but I was already falling for this art. This is how I started the art of murassa."

Murassa, a combination of many jewelry branches

Defining murassa as a decorative art with precious stones on a valuable object, Arslanyan stated that there are some murassa examples made by jewelry teams of the Ottoman Empire at Topkapı Palace. "Murassa includes jewelry art. In the past, teams of 100 or 150 were performing this art. Unfortunately, no one deals with it anymore. I am the last representative of murassa. I opened seven exhibitions in Japan, the U.K., the U.S. and Germany. In 2004, a Turkish Week was organized in Japan. Their prominent jewelers found me through one of my friends. They told me to make two candlesticks describing Istanbul from a kilogram of gold. I produced them in 45 days by working day and night. The candlesticks attracted great attention in Japan," he said.

Emphasizing that he uses healing stones in his works, the artist reported, "The stones formed by magma surely spread energy. These stones become an element of our life one by one. For example, amethyst takes negative energy. Diamond, pearl and garnet are the stones that are thought to be sacred in these lands. They were used frequently in the Ottoman Empire and give positive energy. I also often use them."

Noting that murassa is a kind of love for him, Arslanyan stressed that murassa is a more profound and deep art and not just a jewelry art. "The spirit of the artist is free, they cannot stop as long as they think and desire. Murassa has such a feature that it does not know obstacles. You can do whatever you want in this art."

Deep interest in murassa

Arslanyan said that Istanbul is a city where art, especially jewelry, was born, where the first gold coin was printed and where the first gold refinery was built. "You can see very old jewelry and jewelry products in museums. We are very old heirs of them. The foreigners who encounter them are very impressed and delighted. In my Mahrec Art Workshop, I teach students everything about the art of jewelry."

Arslanyan stated that he has been teaching students the art of jewelry at his workshop since 2007. According to Arslanyan, the workshop has given out certificates of jewelry art to nearly 500 students so far and 60 to 70 students graduate every year from the workshop.

Underlining that Turkey’s first female goldsmiths are also the graduates of Mahrec Art, Arslanyan said: "We teach many branches of jewelry in order to hand down the art of murassa to young generations. Only the students who can manage and collect these parts can succeed in murassa. It is so hard. I tell my students: 'We teach all techniques in the most appropriate and detailed way. But we do not want to leave you on a line; you should develop your line and open a horizon for yourself. We will help and support you.' That is our secret." He added that a foreman working with a master should not imitate the master.

Recalling that they opened a vocational high school in Istanbul in the past, Arslanyan said: "As the twig is bent so is the tree inclined. So, you have to start the arts at an early age. I say all the time 'Children, make sure you study and be a trained goldsmith.’ The artist feeds primarily on nature. Nature has a miraculous structure with its figures and shapes. I advise young people to travel a lot and read a lot. If your budget does not allow it, visit Turkey and Istanbul. You will surely win something. Reading gives you a vision and a line."