The Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world with up to and around 400,000 visitors every day. And in 2014 it came top as the most visited tourist attraction in the world! With it being born in 1455, it is often regarded as one of if not the first shopping centres in the world.
Our Experience
The first thing that has to be touched upon is the variety. No matter what you want, you will find it here – jewellery, carpets, furniture, clothing, suitcases, Yeezys (fake of course) and spices (but I’d suggest the Egyptian spice market for that) to name just a few. But you can literally find anything and everything here. Before visiting the city and even just after landing we were informed by the locals of the intimidating nature of the market. Intimidating how? The prices are literally ten times more than anywhere else and what is should be and the intense bargaining culture (may shock those who aren’t familiar with it). This, of course, turned out to be true and worse I’d say! The prices were extremely unreasonable, but this isn’t something strange for markets such as this, what was unreasonable and off-putting was the stubborn vendors. They were not willing to budge from their prices WHATSOEVER. If you even try to haggle, they say goodbye. There was a my or the high way kind of mentality across the board with most if not all the vendors inside the Bazaar. I found this strange and quite a shame as haggling is and should be a big part of markets such as this. As a vendor, you need to be nice and play along as opposed to being stubborn and quite rude and abrupt at times.
Top Tip
Go to the bazaar to experience it, I mean it is full of history and therefore it should be a must on your Istanbul itinerary. However, I wouldn’t advise you to actually buy anything from there. Go there to experience, but not actually shop. Where should you shop? Shop at the shops right outside the Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar technically is what is under the roof, so to get the best prices and where you should actually shops for goodies and gifts is the shops outside the bazaar that are technically outside the Grand Bazaar because it is not under the main roof. In these shops, the prices are literally ten times less (we found a bag in the bazaar to be 1000 lira and outside the same bag was 100). And the vendors are nicer and more open to haggling.
The Egyptian Spice Market
Built in 1664 is this Egyptian Spice Market or known as the Spice Bazaar by some. The most popular bazaars in the city and probably the most after the Grand Bazaar. It gets its name due to it being built using the money paid as duty on spices that came from Egypt. Literally a few minutes walk between these two markets. And a beautiful walk I may add.
Our Experience
In reality, we much preferred this bazaar than the grand bazaar. The vibe seemed friendlier and more structured (this could be because it is considerably smaller). What you will mainly be getting here is spices, nuts and Turkish delight. So, if that’s what you’re looking for, then definitely turn up here. The vendors are well prepared for tourists in that they speak English well and they will also vacuum pack your goodies ready to travel with. For me, spices and such are the essence of markets and therefore this epitomised that. It felt more like a foreign market this place. In terms of tourists, it was equally busy as the Grand Bazaar. And if you want items other than the aforementioned, the shops outside will provide that.
Top Tip
Go to these guys for your spice and Turkish delight needs. In particular, they have a wide variety of fruit and spice teas (the pomegranate one is AMAZING!) – all using natural ingredients and their Turkish delight, especially the nougat type ones are literally a delight – they are known to uniquely use honey in their recipe. Sooo good! This was a local recommendation we received and it definitely lived up to the recommendation.
What to eat when in the area
Cag Kebab – you’ve probably had enough adana, kofte and doner kebabs in your stay in Istanbul thus far. So, why not try something different? Try the Cag Kebab, which is informally known as the horizontal doner kebab. Read more here.
Cig Kofte – maybe you’ve had plenty of meat in your stay thus far or you’re a vegan or vegetarian, well this is the perfect option for you. A simple dish full of history, but full of flavour too! Read more here.
Lezzet-i Şark – an awesome spot right next to the Egyptian Spice Market to sample wholesome Turkish soups.
Salt Bae – located in the Grand Bazaar building – now knowing the history of the building, this feat is quite impressive! Read our review of the famous restaurant here.
Dönerci Şahin Usta – right next to the Grand Bazaar, many claim this humble spot to be the best doner in Istanbul!
Hafiz Mustafa – and for dessert, you need to look no further than this place. In particular, the caramel milk cake is to die for! Read more here.
Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi – the best coffee to take home in Istanbul.
