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Istanbul is the city of markets, amazing aromas and thousand of beautiful colors. To this we can add all its natural charm, provided by a rugged terrain, the Marmara sea and the Bosphorus strait on both sides of the city, plus a bit of uniqueness that comes from being the meeting point between two worlds: West and East, we have the best place on earth to tour.
Although Istanbul is a city with many modern places, one of the pleasures of touring the city is going to explore the small and large markets. As we are sure that you will love them, we want to give you some tips on what can you find in each one of them.
Sali Pazar is the largest and most traditional flea market Istanbul. This market opens every Tuesday on the Asian side of town, in Kadikoy. There you will be able to find everything you imagined and even the things you’ve never thought. There are wonderful decorative items for home, including carpets, kilims, pillows, precious cups for tea, clothes for men and women and hundreds of other products that you will be able to negotiate and get a great deal.
On Wednesdays you can go and explore markets Yesilkoy and Fatih. Yesilkoy is located in Yesilkoy Cirpici and has 2,019 stalls that sell everything from clothes, electronics, precious ornaments and glass items. The good thing is that this market is sorted by type of product, so you won’t get confusing while visiting. To get there, you can take the commuter rail line to Yesilkoy.
Some aspects to be taken into account to enjoy these markets are: first, to come early in the morning, because they are always very crowded, and second, to be prepared for the harassment of vendors, that is something part of the culture and shouldn’t be taken into account, instead of that enjoy their negotiation style and get the best price per product.
However, the one that is going to charm you the most is the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, located between Nurosmaniye Mercan and Beyazit, known as one of the most beautiful and oldest markets in the world. There are 45 thousand square meters of area where you can find 3,600 stores that sell decorative objects, clothing, jewelry, in short, anything you want. It employs 20 000 people and receives more than 300 thousand people daily.
This reminiscent of the Arabian Nights was built by Mehmed II, during the thirteenth century (1455), in the vicinity of his palace. The story says that craftsmen starting to commercialize their products to nurture this great market and eventually ended up constructing walls around the area.
You can’t miss the Great Spice Bazaar, where you will be welcomed by all sensory stimuli from odors and fragrances, to the explosion of colors. Dating from 1663, when it was installed to finance the construction of the New Mosque and sell all kinds of products coming from the Silk Road. You can find dried fruits, spices, sweets, tea, etc..
For more information: http://www.estambul.es/gran-bazar
If you like walking through history and looking for exotic products, nothing better than renting apartments in Istanbul and explore the markets of the city.
