The largest and oldest covered markets in the world Grand Bazaar (Kapali Çarşı), 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops which attract between 350,000 and 600,000 visitors daily‘ should be any dedicated shopper’s first port of call in Istanbul. Crammed in among chaotic covered streets and alleys, its thousands of stalls hold all manner of items, such as carpets and kilims, leather, suede and denim clothes and accessories, ceramic tiles, bowls and vases, hand-beaten copper and brass lamps, coffee-grinders and samovars, gold and silver jewellery (beware imitations) and much more.
Much of the current prosperity comes from gold (of which nearly 100 tons is sold in the Grand Bazaar each year), coachloads of ‘black bag’ shoppers.(so called because of their habit of filling bin sacks with cheap clothing) and tourism. But, among t he sea of mantlepiece trinkets, nasty leather jackets, no-label jeans and hippie-wear, there • ire attractive quality goods to be had. To take time out I rom the constant hard sell, head for the Şark Kahvesi, a fine old-style coffee house on the prominent Yağlıkçılar Caddesi.
A paradise for some, the crowds and hawkers, and indeed the sheer size of the bazaar, can render the experience quite nightmarish for others. As a result, some shoppers prefer the smaller Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı) in Eminönü. As well as offering the typical souvenirs found in its larger cousin, the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar) also sells vast quantities of herbs and spices, as well as delicious candies and mixed nuts. It’s also a good place to buy a nargile (water pipe) and accompanying fruit-flavoured molasses.
Although the shops are now mainly geared towards tourists, the Grand Bazaar still retains a great deal of its oriental flavour in the blackened corners and arched courtyards of its bans (merchants’ inns), as well as in the workshops and stalls of traditional blacksmiths and bronzesmiths, jewellers and fabric merchants, miniature painters and antiques dealers.
Istanbul was always one of the world’s most important trading centres, with extensive open markets in Byzantine times. The Ottomans ushered in a new economic era, with the city at the) centre of an empire that stretched from the Arabian deserts almost to the European Alps. In 1461 Mehmet the Conqueror ordered the construction of a bedesten, a great lock-up with thick stone walls, massive iron gates and space for several dozen shops. This survives in modified form as the Old Bedesten (If Bedesten), at the very heart of the bazaar. It remains a place where the most precious items are sold, including the best old silver and antiques. The Sandal Bedesten was added later, named after a fine Bursan silk and filled with textile traders. It now hosts a carpet auction at 1pm every Wednesday, well worth attending as an audience spectacle.
It is as easy to lose track of time in this covered labyrinth as it is to lose oneself in its hectic, meandering alleyways. Don’t be afraid to put the map away here, as part of the fun is getting lost, although making your way through the crowds amid the persistent cajoling of shopkeepers can certainly take its toll.
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The Grand Bazaar, one of those great let-downs that’s nowadays crawling with tourists, thieves & expensive trinkets. It was probably a much more interesting place 100 years ago when it resembled more of a flea market full of slaves, illegal arms & expensive silks.
If you visit Istanbul and miss this place, it is like you haven't been to Istanbul. It is a vivid and colorful place with where you can find all the goods that you can imagine. It is up to you and your negotiation skills how much will you pay for it.
I don't recommend it at all, so crowded and the sales persons literally drive you crazy when you pass their shops. The bus station and tram station of grand bazzar (beyazit) are very crowded too
The Grand bazaar is exactly what I imagined a Turkish market to be! Bustling with locals and tourists, haggling with shop keepers, great turkish housewares, Turkish delight etc. For those who are tired and need a rest and light bite there are small cafés, diners dotted between the shops. Take a big bag because you will not come away empty…
Everything is at least 5 times more than what you would find outside the grandbazaar. Was shopping for a bronze/brass metal pieces of chess set, it ranged anywhere from 120 to 450 lira for a similar set. Paid 120 TL for my chess set and still not sure if it's a genuine bronze pcs. Time will tell
Did pick up some items as giveaways for friends and family but one had to do a lot of haggling. Difficult to differentiate between genuine and lookalike leather. But the ambience was great.
My then wife and I visited Istanbul many years ago but the visit to the Grand Bazaar was an experience that even now I can recall with great clarity.Approximately 4000 stalls under cover selling just about everything imaginable and some unmentionable.Leather goods in particular are a good buy if you are prepared to haggle.
Grand Bazaar Really is a Wonderful Place.
I took my husband through here, as I had seen it over 30 years ago. The crowds had changed, and so had all the items for sale. You could get lots of touristy kitsch here, like cheap turkish delight and postcards and some silk scarves, but save your money for other areas.
The grand bazaar is big beyond belief. There are so many shops and corridors, you lose your bearings in this maze. At the same time you think how much stuff there is in the bazaar. As it is under a roof and there are so many people, there might be a shortage of air.