08/05/2026
Since the late 19th century, Turkish ci******es became one of the most fashionable and commercially successful styles of smoking in Europe and America, largely because of the popularity of Ottoman to***co.
Brands like Murad, Sultan and many others were produced and marketed internationally in places like Istanbul, Cairo, London, and New York, using Turkish to***co not only as a product, but as a visual identity.
Their packages and advertisements were filled with veiled figures, crescent symbols, Ottoman references. Brands like Murad even collaborated with famous artists such as Rea Irvin, the founding visual artist of The New Yorker.
The visual language of Turkish cigarette design dates even earlier to Ottoman cigarette papers, which carried highly decorative designs with motifs deeply rooted in the visual culture of the Ottoman Empire.
Music: Selda Bağcan - Yuh Yuh