In Greek and Turkish folk belief, a nazar is a blue amulet worn or displayed to protect against the evil eye. The familiar design usually consists of concentric blue, white, and black circles resembling an eye.
In Turkey it is commonly called nazar boncuğu, meaning “evil-eye bead,” and it appears in homes, workplaces, jewelry, vehicles, and shops. In Greece, closely related blue-eye charms are known as mati, the Greek word for “eye.” The object is generally understood as a protective folk symbol rather than a religious requirement.
The amulet’s colors and eye-like form are not exclusive to one country, and similar protective-eye imagery has a long history around the Mediterranean and western Asia. It is also important not to confuse the nazar with the hamsa, a hand-shaped amulet that can have related protective meanings but is a different object.