Tea Tower

Story

The Tea Bazaar is the heart of Rize's tea trade and a witness to the region's cultural memory. Amid shop windows adorned with colorful tea packets, steel doors, and wooden counters, the history that unfolds here carries traces stretching from Turkey's first tea gardens to the present day. Run with the same enthusiasm since the 1950s, this commercial hub has brought local farmers and merchants together and carried the region's tea, known as green gold, to world markets. The commercial life that begins at first light comes alive with the sharp aroma of tea and the voices of shopkeepers speaking in the local dialect. Every packet sold in the Tea Bazaar holds the story of leaves grown in the mountains; it was here, in this bazaar, that Rize's shift to tea production during the Republican era took place. A tip for visitors: come in the morning hours, chat with the tea sellers to learn about local tea varieties, and you can taste a brew before buying loose tea.