Grand Bazaar Travel Guide
Haggle in Istanbul’s Vast Ottoman-era Market
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Believed to be the largest covered market in the world the 4000 shops that line over sixty streets and alleys make the oriental Grand Bazaar a magnet for visitors today as it has been for over 500 years. The bazaar is easily reached on foot in just a few minutes from the city’s historic Sultanahmet district.
The architecturally noteworthy Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı in Turkish) started off as a bedestan, a large domed warehouse, and indeed the Iç Bedestan forms the heart of the bazaar even today. Added to successively since the 15th century the bazaar is now replete with thousands of shops, together with eateries, a mosque, police station, hans (storerooms), workshops, banks and a post office. Today’s visitors can, as in times past, browse for shoes, gold, leatherwork, ceramics and, perhaps most famously, carpets. The best part of a day can be spent here (avoid busy Saturdays and note the bazaar is closed Sundays), taking refreshment on the go at one of the many excellent local restaurants and cafes, enjoying a unique shopping experience in beautiful and historic surroundings.
Activities in Grand Bazaar
Allow around 3 hours to wander the bazaar. Don’t forget to haggle hard…!
Relaxing
There are several basic yet excellent cafe's and lokantas in the bazaar where you can enjoy some of the best local food around. Great to pause in whilst exploring.
Getting Around
The Grand Bazaar is just 15 minute’s walk from Sultanahmet Square.
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