Forging Fantasy: How a Turkish Family Keeps Ancient Blacksmithing Alive Through Pop Culture

In the historic Kemeralti Bazaar of Izmir, Turkiye, the Akdemir family workshop appears at first glance to be a traditional blacksmith's forge, complete with hanging hammers, tongs, and glowing steel. However, a closer look reveals an extraordinary blend of ancient craftsmanship and modern fantasy culture, with massive swords and intricate weapons inspired by popular video games and television series like World of Warcraft, Game of Legends, and Game of Thrones resting alongside conventional tools.

Suleyman Akdemir, a 30-year-old craftsman, works the forge alongside his 54-year-old father, Omer. The family business has deep roots in the bazaar, where generations have practiced hot forging. While Omer's generation primarily produced agricultural tools, tobacco needles, and shoe-sole cutting blades for local farmers and tradespeople, changing economic landscapes and industrial mass production threatened to make their traditional output obsolete. The decline of tobacco farming and the rise of factory-made alternatives and laser-cutting technology meant the demand for everyday hardware was fading.

Faced with the question of what happens when traditional products are no longer needed, Suleyman found a new path. In 2014, he launched an Instagram account to showcase their metalwork. What began with local orders for outdoor machetes transformed dramatically in 2016 following a request for a replica axe featured in the hit Turkish historical drama series Dirilis: Ertugrul. Soon, international customers were sending images of fictional weapons from films and video games, presenting Suleyman with the unique engineering challenge of translating screen designs into balanced, functional steel blades.

Today, custom and specialized fantasy orders account for 80 to 90 percent of the workshop's revenue. The forge handles approximately 450 orders annually, exporting to countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Despite initial skepticism from his father, Suleyman's nighttime experiments and online marketing successfully revitalized the business, proving that traditional skills could thrive in a global digital marketplace.

The workshop's team also expanded with the addition of Yagiz Can Sonmez, a 33-year-old former goldsmith from Istanbul's Grand Bazaar who sought out Suleyman to learn hot metalwork. Blending Suleyman's classic designs with Yagiz's intricate detailing, the artisans continue to operate what Akin Oz, vice president of the Izmir Ironworkers Craftsmen and Artisans Chamber, notes is the last remaining active hot-blacksmithing operation in the historic bazaar. As the heavy power hammer falls silent at the end of the day, the Akdemir family continues to answer a simple, enduring question from customers near and far: 'Can you make this?'