The Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalıçarşı)
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the worlds oldest and largest covered markets in the world. It started off as a small warehouse but it grew to cover laneways and was eventually roofed. Due to the nature of the expansion the grand bazaar is a labyrinth of shops and stalls.
The market is swamped in history, it was built in the fifteenth century. Thanks to an earthquake in 1894 the market went under some restoration work and now when you approach the market, what you see is centuries of history all under one roof!
What makes this market so enticing is that you’ll find it full of visitors and locals selling almost every imaginable item. There are well over one thousand shops located over sixty streets which means you can’t possibly leave without buying something! From carpets, glazed tiles and pottery, copper and brassware as well as fabrics. Be sure to give yourself a couple of hours
There are four main entrances to the market, and its open daily from 8.30-9 and the market is closed on a Sunday. The market is also closed for the duration of religious holidays so bear this in mind when visiting.
The market is covered so you’ll keep dry whilst bargaining for an ornate tea set or some fresh fruit.
The bazaar requires you to bargain so some things to keep in mind: the seller has the upper hand, never look too interested, don’t name your best price to start of and remember there’ll always be another stall selling what you want at the price you want!
Once you have shopped to your hearts content, there are a number of resturants within the bazaar that you can sample for a snack
The market is swamped in history, it was built in the fifteenth century. Thanks to an earthquake in 1894 the market went under some restoration work and now when you approach the market, what you see is centuries of history all under one roof!
What makes this market so enticing is that you’ll find it full of visitors and locals selling almost every imaginable item. There are well over one thousand shops located over sixty streets which means you can’t possibly leave without buying something! From carpets, glazed tiles and pottery, copper and brassware as well as fabrics. Be sure to give yourself a couple of hours
There are four main entrances to the market, and its open daily from 8.30-9 and the market is closed on a Sunday. The market is also closed for the duration of religious holidays so bear this in mind when visiting.
The market is covered so you’ll keep dry whilst bargaining for an ornate tea set or some fresh fruit.
The bazaar requires you to bargain so some things to keep in mind: the seller has the upper hand, never look too interested, don’t name your best price to start of and remember there’ll always be another stall selling what you want at the price you want!
Once you have shopped to your hearts content, there are a number of resturants within the bazaar that you can sample for a snack
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