About Turkish Stones

IMIB

Istanbul Mineral Exporters’ Association (IMIB) is a professional non-profit association which deals with all export activities in minerals sector. Istanbul Mineral Exporters' Association was founded in 1976 and has 3.160 members as of 2017.

Among the principal areas of business of IMIB are industrial minerals, metallic minerals, natural stones, ferro alloys and other minerals. The main objectives of the union are to increase exports of mineral and natural stone industry, to bring solutions to the problems of export-oriented activities in the country and to promote Turkish natural stones and minerals in abroad, effectively. Being non-profit organization structure, supported and controlled by the government makes IMIB an extremely reliable partner to work with.

Beside, IMIB supports design activities by publishing architectural design magazine called Natura and organizing design exhibitions with Turkish natural stones in the frame of Milano Design Week since 2008.

TURKISH STONES

Turkey, situated on the Alpine Belt, where the world’s richest marble deposits are found, is among the world’s oldest natural stone producers with four thousand years of production history that starts with the Marmara Island. With the Marmara and Aegean Regions at the forefront, almost in all geographical regions from the Thrace to the Eastern Anatolia, hundreds of different colors textures and patterns of natural stones are found that are of a quality capable of gaining appreciation in the world markets. Among these, granite, onyx, limestone, basalt, andesite, slate stone and diabase are types of stones that are leading in production with marble and travertine.

Turkey is also among the most important natural stone producers in the world, with its developing industry and production technology. Turkish natural stone sector has an important place in the world with its richness of variety and reserves, sector experience, abundance of raw materials, ease of shipment in sea transportation, its dynamic sector structure, the new technologies being utilized and its broad color spectrum.

By the end of 2016, with its 1.8 billion dollar export value, Turkey is the biggest exporter in the world on the basis of marble and travertine. With our increasing value, our 2023 target for natural stone is to reach 6 billion dollar exporting income.