Grand Bazaar

A Shopping Experience to Remember in The Grand Bazaar

Shopping is great no matter where you do it, but there are some experiences which simply cannot be bettered or described. One place you have to visit when you head to Istanbul is the large, colourful, busy, and maze-like Grand Bazaar.

Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is a covered marketplace which has a huge 66 street, and more than 4000 shops inside. The streets loop back on themselves and it’s very easy to become a little misplaced! Don’t worry however, even the locals get lost, but it’s easy enough to find your way back out again, and vendors will happily point you in the right direction.

The Grand Bazaar is, without a doubt, the world’s largest covered bazaar.

For that reason alone, a visit here is a must do.

About The Grand Bazaar

The shopping experience, or even experience inside, this marketplace is quite overwhelming, so bear that in mind before you go inside! You’ll often hear it called ‘kapali carsi’ in Turkish, which basically means ‘closed market’, or covered marketplace, as we’ve described.

Vendors will shout, telling you all about what they’re selling and why they’re better than everyone else, colours will pop from every stall, lights will dazzle, and the scents will intoxicate you. This is real travel, this is real shopping! It’s unique and it’s exotic on every level.

Of course, this is a historic building too, and we should give a big mention to that. The Grand Bazaar was ordered by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1461, making it one of the oldest in the world. At the time, it was the centre-point of commercial business in the whole city, and the place where you could literally find whatever you needed. The market itself is like a huge maze, but it’s decorated beautifully inside – remember to look up at the roof when you’re wandering around (if there’s room to do so!). Despite the large space, covering 30,700 square metres, this is without a doubt one of the most visited spots in all of Istanbul, and even locals flock to do their shopping here, so you can expect crowds no matter what the day or time.

Shopping in The Grand Bazaar

You might think that these days the Grand Bazaar is a place for tourists to buy souvenirs, and whilst some of that is true, there are authentic goods on sale here too. The best and most common items to find here are:

• Pestamel – These are hamam towels which are hand woven and very cheap
• Carpets and kills
• Antiques – Look out for calligraphy or other traditional Islamic art pieces or Ottoman pieces
• Pashminas and fabric items
• Cushion covers made of cotton and silk
• Gold rings and other gold jewellery
• Iznik tiles – These are the types of decorations you will see in many important buildings around the city, including mosques
• Leather items

It’s very easy to get lost, as we mentioned earlier, but there are sections for various things, so doing your research ahead of time will get you in and out faster! You could book a trip and go with a guide, or you could simply research online beforehand and save yourself some cash.

Some vendors will tell you that they can send your items to your home country for you, and whilst many will reliably do this, do be careful who you trust. If you opt for this, the postage cost will be added to your sale, so bear this in mind. Just go with your gut.

The Art of Haggling

Most people hate haggling, especially when they’re not used to it, but if yo don’t do this, you’re going to end up paying a lot more than you should, and that’s money thrown away! Some stores have fixed priced, and you’ll see those clearly marked, however if you don’ see prices, the chances are you need to get your haggling hat on. Just give it a try, it’s not as hard as you think, and it’s can yield some serious bargains!

It is best to have cash with you when you’re shopping in the Grand Bazaar, and lira is best, as not all stores will accept foreign currency. Some stores do accept credit cards, but not all, so bear that in mind before you go inside.

How to Get to The Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar is open every day, but closed on Sundays and it’s free to go inside. Obviously how much you spend in there is up to you! The bazaar is located in a district called Cemberlitas, but this is a stone’s throw from Sultanahmet, in the Old City part of Istanbul. To save your legs, jump on the Beyazit-Kapalıçarşı tram, and you’ll be right outside where you need to be.

It’s likely that you will spend a few hours inside, so don’t expect to get in and out in an hour – it’s quite impossible! This is a real experience, so take your time and browse at your leisure. On average, most people spend around three hours inside the Grand Bazaar, but if it takes you more, no problem!

There are many attractions close to the Grand Bazaar once you’ve finished shopping, and depending on how much you’ve bought, depends on whether you’ll want to go back to the hotel and drop it off before you continue sightseeing or not! If you’re ready to continue, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia are very close by, and these are two of the most popular sights in the entire city, for sure. You’ll also find countless delicious local restaurants in the area, and you’ll probably be ready for a sit down after all that retail therapy!

The Grand Bazaar can be overwhelming, so perhaps an hour having something to eat and a refreshment or two could be just what the doctor ordered. Be sure to head to a traditional restaurant and try something new, to really make an authentic travel day of it, before heading off and exploring the rest of the local area – there’s more than enough to see for a few days at the very least!