Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is the world’s largest indoor market. It spreads over an area of 20 hectares, where trade takes place in about 4,000 stores on 65 streets. Half a million shoppers and the merely curious visit the market every day. There are a dozen restaurants, banks, vending machines, tea houses, snack bars, a post office and a police station.

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General Information

The entire bazaar is walled and you can enter through any of the eleven gates, but the best way to enter is through the Nuru Osmaniye gate. Once inside, one finds that the opportunity to view such a vast array of goods, the noise and excitement of the exotic surroundings energizes visitors, allowing them to wander around for hours.

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Mehmet the Conqueror took possession of Constantinople in 1453, and the city ceased to be a Christian city. At the same time, the Sultan ordered the construction of a bazaar to promote trade. Over the centuries, the bazaar suffered from fires and even earthquakes, but the original plan of streets and houses with peaked roofs, connected by a whole labyrinth of narrow passages.

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The Grand Bazaar is divided into separate areas selling specific goods, such as antiques, leather, jewelry, spices and carpets, but once in the middle of the bazaar, it feels like a real labyrinth with no way out. Nevertheless, no matter how hot and crowded it is, there is always a small café or counter nearby where you can have a refreshing drink or relax by the fountains, which are arranged at regular intervals. Traders are often very friendly, so do not refuse the opportunity to have a cup of tea with them, gossip about the state of the world and at the same time bargain over some trinket you like.

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The Grand Bazaar is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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First Impressions

The first-time visitor will be struck by the cleanliness, liveliness, cheerfulness – high light-colored ceilings, excellent tiles on many walls and columns. The number of goods is overwhelming: carpets, antiques, porcelain, copper, brass, gold and silver, leather, suede, clothes, bags, shoes, backgammon, hookahs, pipes, hats, fezzes, woolen socks and gloves bound in nomadic tribes in the east of Turkey – it is impossible to list everything. Planning the itinerary in advance is unthinkable, something will inevitably tempt on the neighboring line. There are two options for the development of events. You either walk only along the main lines and visit the oldest part of the bazaar, Ic Bedesten, or you walk in circles, not leaving out any stores where there is so much to see.

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Ic Bedesten

There is one place in Old Bedesten that is a must-see: in the very center, preserved in the marketplace since the 15th century, antique shops selling copper, silver, gold jewelry beckon. This area is literally hidden behind four gates.

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How to navigate the market and how to buy

According to Eastern tradition, sellers of certain goods are grouped together. The most intrusive ones await you on the main street, but if you go deeper into the quieter streets, things are different. Money changes almost everywhere.

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For silverware, the northeast corner of the market, Kahcar Han, is worth a visit; the neighboring Zincirli Han will also catch your eye. Gold and precious stones are to be found on Kuyumcular Caddesi, between Sandal Bedesteni and Old Bedesten. Carpet dealers have established themselves around Old Bedesten. The line where they used to sell fezzes (Fesciler Caddesi) is now a denim world.

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For books – new and old – go to Sahaflar Carsisi, next to the Bazaar. Students are always crowded here.

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Money

Due to the fluctuating exchange rate of the Turkish lira, it is more favorable to pay for purchases in foreign currency. The cost of expensive items, such as carpets, is always quoted in dollars, euros or pounds.

What’s on sale at the Grand Bazaar

It is impossible to present a complete list of goods in the market. Let’s list the main ones:

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Alabaster: a mineral, translucent calcite, or gypsum, which is used to make chess pieces, egg holders, ashtrays, and more.

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Antiques: authentic things are found, but more fakes. Export of antique valuables from Turkey is strictly prohibited, for violation threatens imprisonment. If you buy an old thing, ask the seller to indicate its age and get a certificate of purchase with his signature.

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Camel bone boxes: beautifully colored.

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Carpets: endless selection of carpets and kilims at good prices.

Ceramics: colorful abstractions or traditional floral motifs – the main tone is usually blue or green – on pots, jugs, dishes, plates, and tiles.

Copper and products made of it: copper tea trays with a candle holder and tea cups – an unusual and useful souvenir. Copper is toxic, it is possible to drink and eat from copper products if there is a tin coating inside, which is easily applied (tinned) right at the market.

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Denim: a variety of denim clothing, cheap bags of all sizes made of sailcloth that are so convenient to carry shopping in.

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Gold and silver: daily the price of gold is written in chalk on a blackboard on the Jewelers’ Street (Kuyumcular Caddesi). The silver bazaar is abundant, but if you want something special, your order will be fulfilled in a few days.

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Jewelry: a wide selection, including semi-precious stones such as turquoise, amethyst, garnet, onyx, jade, lapis lazuli.

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Leather and suede: jackets, jackets, skirts, pants, shoes, bags, belts – in different cuts and sizes. Leather is delightfully soft, but each purchase should be carefully considered and tried on well.

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Spices: the full range – from ginger to curry, all laid out in open bags. You’ll also find spices at the Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Car si si) behind the New Mosque in Eminyonu Square.

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Turkish sweets: lemon, mint, and pistachio flavored lukum, packaged and not, in any quantity.

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