THE HOUSE
Our Story
A Grand Bazaar Textile House Since 1968
Founded in 1968 in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, Gülipek Hamit Fırat began as a small atelier in the heart of Beyazıt — one of the oldest commercial districts in the world — set on building something that would last.
The name Gülipek — "rose silk" in Turkish — reflects the founders' belief that exceptional textiles deserve exceptional care: chosen slowly, sold honestly, and made to endure. In the earliest years, the house built its reputation stall by stall, customer by customer. The Grand Bazaar, with its vaulted ceilings and four centuries of continuous trade, was the ideal setting for a house that valued tradition above trend.
Silk came first — lightweight, luminous, and prized across cultures. Cashmere followed as the house grew, adding warmth and luxury to a collection that had already earned the trust of local families, visiting merchants, and international travellers alike. Each piece was — and still is — chosen by hand, judged against the same standards the founders established in the early days of the house.
Today the house is run by the founding family and continues into its third generation. Nothing about the founding philosophy has changed. Relationships are built face-to-face. The three store locations — Headquarters at Cebeci Han, the Yağlıkçılar Atelier on Yağlıkçılar Caddesi, and the Divrikli House on Divrikli Sokak — are each a reflection of the same unhurried standard.
For visitors from Europe and North America, the stores offer a genuinely different kind of shopping experience. There is no pressure, no theatre — simply a family that has spent more than fifty years learning what quality looks like, and is happy to share what they know. Whether you are searching for a single silk scarf, a cashmere shawl, or consulting on a larger textile order, every enquiry receives the same attention.
The house is open Monday to Saturday, 09:00–18:30. All three locations are within the Beyazıt district, a short walk from the Grand Bazaar's main gates.