OUR MISSION
Journey to the Future with the Ancient Crafts of Anatolia
Anatolia is a place like no other with its people, culture, and art. The ancient crafts of Anatolia are among the greatest treasures history has bestowed upon us. As someone who was born and raised in this land, we wanted to bring the forgotten beauties of our fading values back to light by incorporating them into our products.
Anatolia has been a cradle for countless civilizations over the centuries, each leaving its mark and contributing to a rich cultural mosaic. From the Hittites to the Urartians, from the Phrygians to the Romans, many civilizations have influenced the development of crafts and professions. However, with the advancement of technology and industrialization, interest in these arts has waned, putting these unique handcrafted products at risk of extinction.
Our brand’s mission is to carry the craftsmanship of the past into the future. We aim to ensure the continuity of our cultural richness and revive the nearly forgotten crafts through our products.
Each of our products has a unique story, creation process, and journey. Just as the hands that carved the ‘T’-shaped stones in Göbekli Tepe, the artisans who beautified the stone houses in Mardin, and the craftsmen who sculpted the Mother Goddess figure in Catalhöyük, our designs also bear the touches of ancient masters and techniques that have evolved over centuries.
From the silk fabrics woven in Hatay, the copper details crafted with the art of coppersmithing in Antep, to the accessories and details made with Mardin Stone from the ancient art of stone carving, artisans from different regions have brought these designs to life using centuries-old techniques. Each of our products, which is a unique work of art, shares the story of Anatolia’s ancient crafts and their masters with you.
It is a great pleasure for us to bring to light the labor and art pieces created by these valuable craftsmen and masters. Each touch preserved in our products carries a piece of Anatolia’s millennia-old history into the future. Introducing these products to the world and shedding light on our lost values is an integral part of our designs.
WHY Marau
We took our brand name from Hittite, which also inspired our first collection. In Hittite, it means wooden furniture.
Our logo features the word “Marau” written in Hittite cuneiform, an ancient script that is considered the ancestor of known Indo-European languages and most importantly, originated in Anatolia, written with the help of Hittitologists.
Why the Hittite civilization?
The richness that Anatolian lands offer us is endless. Its culture, people, craftsmanship, and way of life are unique and have been blended with different cultures for thousands of years. Our brand mission is to bring the lost ancient crafts of Anatolia to the present and future through our de-signs. In doing so, we wanted to derive our brand name and identity from the Hittite civilization, the first known civilization that lived in Anatolia and ruled these lands for 600 years, making Anatolia what it is.
After months of research and guided tours of Çorum Hattusa, the capital of the Hittites, we decided to create our first collection inspired by the Hittite civilization as a tribute to them. In our first collection, you can find traces of the Hittite civilization in this special series of 10 pieces detailed with different crafts from various regions of Anatolia. We aimed to present our products, each with a unique story, to you with their exclusive mak-ing-of documentaries.
DİLARA TOKATLIOĞLU
Architect and Landscape Architect.
Dilara Tokatlıoğlu was born in Istanbul, Turkey. After graduating from Eyüboğlu College, she completed a double major program in Architecture and Landscape Architecture at Yeditepe University in 2015. As part of an exchange program, she studied for one semester at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.
She shaped her career by working as a designer in prestigious architecture, interior design, and landscape firms in Istanbul. She led and designed commercial and luxury residential projects. In 2020, she founded her own firm, DT Design Lab. In 2024, she joined forces with Selen Türeli Batmaz to establish Marāu, and they have been working together since then.
SELEN TÜRELİ BATMAZ
MDes Interior Architect and Environmental Designer.
Selen Tureli was born in Adana, Turkey. After graduating from Tarsus American College, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Interior Architecture and Environmental Design from Bilkent University (2015). As an honor student, she participated in the Erasmus exchange program and studied at The Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk, Poland, for a semester. She furthered her education at The Glasgow School of Art, Scotland, UK, and earned Master’s degree in the Interior Design in 2016.
She began her career working as a designer at exclusive design firms in Istanbul; she managed and designed commercial and high-end residential projects. In 2020 she founded her own firm, Studio Tureli. In 2024 she and Dilara Tokatlıoglu merged and founded their firm, Marau, they have been working together since then.