One of the most chilling real jinn encounters in Istanbul came in the 1990s inside the historic Cevahir Bedesten, part of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar complex. A shopper named Feriha Teke experienced an extraordinary physical phenomenon:
- As she walked through the bazaar in fall 1998, Feriha suddenly felt vertigo and looked up to see the surrounding air undulate unnaturally—like waves in still air.
- An oval-shaped portal appeared overhead, and through it emerged a transparent, bald-headed figure with a ponytail—believed by witnesses to be a jinn.
- After the portal closed, Feriha no longer felt dizzy, but nearby shoppers fainted in shock. Many present claimed they sensed something deeply unnatural.
Local legends claim that parts of the nearby Bakırpaşa Mansion briefly vanish, only to reappear later, which some attribute to jinn activity and interdimensional portals in Turkey.
🧠 Sleep Paralysis and Jinn Attacks in Turkish Culture
Sleep paralysis—known in Turkey as Karabasan—is widely attributed to jinn attacks in popular belief. In one documented case, a woman named Zeynep reported:
- Waking up to see a burnt-faced woman approach her, overwhelming terror, and a putrid burning odor.
- She believed it was a jinn assault. A religious cleric (hodja) confirmed the jinn assault and gave her talismans and Qur’anic recitations as protection.
While medical experts attribute karabasan to wakeful paralysis, cultural failure to separate psychological phenomena from spiritual creatures is common in regional narratives.
🗣️ Personal Testimony: A Child’s Jinn Encounter in Istanbul
A Redditor shared a vivid childhood memory from their Istanbul flat:
“I woke up around 2 or 3 a.m., and as I approached the bathroom, I saw a black head emerging from beneath the sink. It had long black hands, horns, blue glowing eyes, and sharp teeth.”
This child retreated to the safety of their parents, too frightened to continue. The encounter left a long-lasting psychological impact.
📋 Story Comparison Table
| Incident | Where & When | What Happened | Why It Stands Out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cevahir Bazaar Portal | Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, 1998 | Wave‑like portal, transparent figure emerged | Multiple witnesses fainted; living portal reported |
| Karabasan Paralyzing Attack | Turkey (urban setting) | Woman saw burnt-faced figure; ordered hodja talisman | Blends medical sleep paralysis with jinn belief |
| Child’s Bathroom Encounter | Istanbul apartment, unknown year | Horned figure with blue eyes emerging under sink | Vivid hallucination or supernatural presence |
💡 Analysis: Skepticism Meets Folklore
- Cultural Context: In Turkey, the concept of jinn is deeply embedded—many natural or psychological phenomena get explained through spiritual lenses.
- Common Themes: Nighttime incidents (2–3 a.m.), shadowy or glowing-eyed figures, and overwhelming fear are consistent across cases.
- Objective vs Subjective: In the bazaar case, multiple witnesses and fainting suggest an external physical experience. In the personal Reddit narrative and karabasan case, experiences may be subjective or linked to psychological states interpreted as spiritual.
🧭 Final Thoughts
These incidents show how Istanbul’s layered history, cultural storytelling, and unexplained phenomena intertwine into narratives that terrify yet captivate. Whether one regards such stories as paranormal or psychological, they aren’t fabricated—they come from real people who believed—and continue to believe—they encountered something beyond ordinary.
