Turkish marble has held an important share in the world natural stone market for many years. Turkey is known as one of the countries with the richest marble reserves in the world, and sectoral sources emphasize that Turkey represents a significant proportion of the global natural stone reserve. This position rests not only on the ore beneath the ground, but also on the processing culture and export infrastructure accumulated over centuries. With three generations of supply experience, as we deliver products coming out of the Saraylar (Marmara Island) quarries to Romania, Bulgaria, and various countries of Europe, we have the opportunity to observe Turkish marble's position in the international market closely. In this article, we want to evaluate the structure of the global marble market, the comparison with rival countries, the historical weight of the Saraylar basin, and Turkey's structural advantages from a supplier's perspective.
Global natural stone trade has been a market that has grown in both volume and value over the past decades. The architectural trend's return to natural material, the rise in boutique residential investments, and the luxury material demand from the hotel and retail sectors have made natural stone an important heading among building materials. On the production side of this market, Turkey, Italy, China, India, Spain, Greece, and Egypt stand out among the determining players. On the consumption side, the European Union countries, the United States, the Gulf countries, and in recent years the domestic markets of China and India create significant demand. Turkish marble's position in this market is evaluated with both a producer and an exporter identity.
Italian Carrara marble is the undisputed historical reference point in the world market. Carrara white, used for sculpture and architecture since antiquity, carries its cultural weight from the Renaissance to the modern era. The Carrara brand is a prestige symbol in the natural stone market and is one of the product groups that sets the price ceiling. On the other hand, the cost structure of Carrara production creates a higher price level compared to Turkish marble. This difference positions Turkish marble competitively on the price-performance axis. Spain's Macael region is another important point of white marble production in the Mediterranean basin. Greece's Tinos and Penteli quarries are regions that have produced marble since antiquity and have a continuing supply infrastructure in the modern era. Egypt is fed by its proximity to the Middle East and Africa markets with white and colored marble products. China and India, with the size of their domestic markets, hold both producer and consumer positions.
