Selda Kırpınar

Turks still favor a timeless investment strategy: Buy gold and hide it somewhere safe, usually under a pillow or under the mattress.

"I don't understand modern investments like stocks and forex. Gold is my family's traditional investment, as my mother always encouraged me to buy gold for savings," says 36-year-old Selda Kırpınar in Ankara, who stores away her gold at home.