THE LEGACY OF THE LYDIANS IS CARRIED TO THE PRESENT DAY WITH İSTAŞ MARBLE…
The Lydians… a civilization that lived between Manisa and Uşak in the 7th century BC and changed world history by inventing coinage. In other words, the land where the very first chapter of economic history was written. These lands remain just as valuable and unique today. In this region, stones with roots reaching deep into history are still being produced. One of Turkey’s most distinctive natural stones, known as Philadelphia travertine, is extracted from these lands. This special product, carrying the signature of İstaş Marble, is quarried in the Alaşehir district of Manisa. With its 32 years of experience, İstaş Marble continues to work to add maximum value to this unique stone.
32 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
We sit down with second-generation representative Efe Çakır of the company, founded in Istanbul in 1994, to listen to İstaş’s long-standing story. Çakır begins by referring to 1994: “Our company was established in Istanbul in 1994. Since its foundation, we have been operating in mining. In the same year, we obtained the mining license for the travertine quarry located in the Serinköy area of Alaşehir. Today, we produce block travertine in this quarry. In 2020, we started producing tiles and pavers in the factory we built within the quarry site. In 2021, we moved our headquarters to Denizli, which is the center of travertine sales and marketing in Türkiye.”
PHILADELPHIA AND CASABLANCA
What does the company’s production portfolio include? Efe Çakır highlights not only the signature Philadelphia travertine, but also the Casablanca selection. “Philadelphia takes its name from the ancient name of Alaşehir, where our quarry is located. It is our main product exported as blocks, tiles, and pavers. In our factory, we also produce different surface finishes such as polished, tumbled, filled, and honed. In addition, Casablanca is another selection in our production portfolio.”
FIRST-PLACE AWARD
A significant milestone in 2025 also confirms that İstaş is on the right path. İstaş Marble ranked first in the “Companies Exporting to New Markets in 2024” awards presented by the Aegean Mineral Exporters’ Association. This success, driven by exports to the Dutch Antilles market, sends a clear message of “keep going” both for the company and its export strategy.
