Anatolian was a brand I had seen all over the puzzle pages but had never done one. Needless to say, I was (and am) so happy to say that we have a huge variety of Anatolian puzzles in several piece counts.

I had quite a few on my wish list, and I still do. As with any puzzles brand, there are highs and lows, and I am really excited to share my thoughts with you.

The puzzle I chose to do first was on my wish list for a very long time – Still Life with Fruit 

Anatolian puzzles are a company in Turkey. I think they are the only one, which makes them unique. They have a variety of beautiful images to choose from and there is something for everyone.

The pieces are a standard grid cut, very thick, and nice to hold. The box has a full image on the front, and nothing was obscured. The back of the box has some information but nothing particularly exciting. The pieces come in a plastic bag, and they also include a box stand to hold the box top for referencing the image. This is a nice bonus, and not seen very often.

I loved the puzzle that I completed. I loved the image. I love several of their images, so I will be doing a lot more from this brand.

And this is where and why everyone has to decide what’s important in a puzzle.

The one thing I really did not like was the piece fit. This brand had the loosest fit of any puzzle I have ever done. I was doing some research online and found this was a common issue with Anatolian. I couldn’t move sections or attached pieces with my hands as they just fell apart. You would be better off picking them up with a tool like a puzzle scoop or spatula. Because of the looseness, they didn’t snap into place, and sometimes it was hard to see if the pieces were in the correct places. I just picked them up or flipped them over to see if they lined up, but it was a bit annoying. When I went to glue it to hang on the wall, the glue seeped through the pieces, and I had to unstick it from the foam board and do some puzzle surgery to put it back together. This has never happened to me before. Next time I glue an Anatolian, I will put wax paper underneath, so it doesn’t stick. There is a solution to everything.

Learn More: How to Glue Puzzle with & without Glue

So, there you go. Images and piece feel are positive. Piece fit is a negative. If I didn’t love the images, this brand would be a pass for me. If you don’t like a loose fit and aren’t drawn to the images, you might want to pass too. I was willing to overlook it because they are just so pretty that I don’t mind. 😊

Have you done an Anatolian? Please let me know what you think.