The Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar began with a stone strongroom, the bedesten, that Mehmed II built between 1455 and 1461 to trade textiles and valuables, and it grew outward over the centuries until it became a city within the city. Today, roughly 3,600 shops line its covered streets, which are spread over about 45,000 square metres and entered through 22 gates, with some fourteen hans, the old merchant inns with courtyards, tucked behind its walls. Streets are still named for the trades that once occupied them, the fez makers, the mirror makers, the kerchief sellers, and the main artery, Kalpakcilar Caddesi, glitters with jewelers between the Beyazit and Nuruosmaniye gates. At the heart is the Cevahir or Ic Bedesten, the oldest core, now home to antique dealers, old silver, icons and rare pieces under its stone vaults. Around it you will find carpets and kilims, ceramics, lanterns, copper, leather, textiles, towels and pestemal from the hammam, Turkish delight and spices, along with the inevitable souvenirs and fakes. The bazaar's great roof restoration, begun in 2016 and completed in 2019, renewed the vaults, and rooftop tours run through agencies have opened since 2024. It is noisy, crowded, colorful and occasionally pushy, and it is also one of the great travel experiences of the world. Go with no fixed plan, get a little lost, drink tea with a carpet dealer whether or not you buy, and look up at the painted vaults.

When to go: the bazaar is open Monday to Saturday, roughly from early morning to early evening, with individual shops keeping their own hours within that window. It is closed on Sundays and during the main religious holidays, and reopening after a holiday varies. Entry is free. Mornings are calmer, Saturdays the busiest. If you are in town on a Sunday, the Spice Bazaar, about fifteen minutes' walk downhill, stays open and is a smaller, gentler alternative.

How to shop: bargaining is expected for carpets, ceramics, leather and most handicrafts, less so for gold, which is priced from the daily rate, and some shops have fixed prices, so it is fine to ask. Ask the price, counter well below it, move in steps and stay friendly; walking away is acceptable, and if you love something, buy it, because you may never find the shop again. Ask for prices in lira and decline any card terminal that offers to charge you in your home currency. For a serious carpet purchase, take your time, ask about origin, age and dyes, and get a receipt and certificate. Ignore touts outside the gates who offer to take you to a cousin's shop; they work on commission.

Beyond the shopping: the hans are the bazaar's hidden world. Zincirli Han, in the northeast corner, is a pretty cobbled courtyard with a long tradition of carpet dealers, and the bigger, shabbier hans around the edges still house workshops where silversmiths and craftsmen work. Stop for coffee or tea at one of the small cafes inside, and leave by the Beyazit Gate to see the Beyazit Mosque and the gate of Istanbul University, or by the Nuruosmaniye Gate for the baroque Nuruosmaniye Mosque. From there, walk downhill through the busy commercial streets of Mahmutpasa, full of local shoppers, to the Spice Bazaar and the Golden Horn.