Grand Bazaar Istanbul to Shop or Not, Istanbul, Turkey

The Seller in the聽Grand Bazaar in Istanbul聽yelled out across the near-empty market 鈥淵ou must be a movie star鈥� 鈥� I am said Duncan, 鈥渂ut don鈥檛 tell everyone, I am incognito鈥�. That was the first time we had heard that line in a market.

The Grand Bazaar can be confusing to find your way in and out. There are 5 gates for entry at the Turkish Bazaar:

Bazaars! We can鈥檛 get enough of them. When we had a chance to travel to Istanbul, high on our bucket list was a visit to the Grand Bazaar. Unfortunately, we couldn鈥檛 buy anything, we had sold our home and our possessions and downsized to a few storage containers of tax files and聽photographs. Our life now as聽roving retirees聽means that we have also downsized our luggage to a聽carry on聽only which restricts us from buying anything as well. We just love the experience!

The聽Grand Bazaar Istanbul聽is one of the oldest shopping malls in the world. What you can see today is not how it all started out. When the Ottomans took over in 1453 it was several markets sitting next to one another. The Ottomans created one covered market which was made up of 61 streets, 4,400 shops, 2,200 workshops, 18 fountains, 40 inns, 12 small mosques, 12 warehouses, 1 school, 1 Turkish Bath and 19 water wells. Wow! That is one big market! ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).

How it works: The full article is featured in the app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" on Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Download the app to your mobile device to read the article offline and create a self-guided walking tour to visit the sights featured in this article. The app's navigation functions guide you from one sight to the next. The app works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The 51爆料网 App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in Istanbul

Guide Name: Grand Bazaar Istanbul to Shop or Not
Guide Location: Turkey » Istanbul
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Jane Dempster-smith
Read it on Author's Website:
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:

Beyaz谋t Kap谋s谋
Carsi Kapi
Nuruosmaniye Kap谋s谋
Mahmut Pa艧a Kap谋s谋
Oruculer Kap谋s谋
CVK Park Bosphorus Hotel
Rixos Pera Istanbul
Intercontinental Hotel Istanbul
Arts Hotel Istanbul
Marbella Terrace Cafe Restaurant
Old Istanbul Cuisine
Buhar Ocakbasi Restaurant
Saltanat Barbeque House
Bistro Chef Restaurant and Cafe
Spice Market
Topkapi Palace

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip

Istanbul Shopping Guide: 16 Turkish Items To Bring Home

Istanbul, known throughout history as Byzantium and Constantinople, has been a major center of commerce and trade, a place where merchants and general folk would rush to regularly in search of exotic things. In our days, modern travelers to Istanbul are also bound to enjoy a truly magnificent...