We were excited to see the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar as part of our first visit to Istanbul. They are so iconic, and one of the first things that come to mind when thinking about Istanbul. We spent some of our Turkish Lira in both venues. We also visited the gorgeous shopping strip behind the Blue Mosque, the Arasta Bazaar. If you aren’t staying nearby, we found the tram network in Istanbul is easy to use. There is a tram stop close to the Grand Bazaar which comes from the Galata neighbourhood. We used the trams regularly.
The Grand Bazaar
The first time we approached the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul we felt some trepidation. Were we going to be constantly hounded by sellers? Was it going to be crowded? Were we going to feel unsafe? In the end none of these concerns applied.
The narrow laneways are filled with colourful shops overflowing with stained glass lamps, rugs, brass pots, fabrics, jewellery and pretty much anything else you would hope to see.
Once we entered the enormous Bazaar, there was so much to take in. Our eyes were drawn up to the curved ceiling, beautifully painted with bright colours and decorative patterns, supported by rustic pillars in places. The narrow laneways are all named. They are filled with colourful shops overflowing with stained glass lamps, rugs, brass pots, fabrics, jewellery and pretty much anything else you would hope to see.
On our first visit we wandered about taking it all in. As we were returning to Istanbul after visiting some of Turkey’s other regions, we held off on buying anything so that we didn’t have to add to our luggage too early in the trip. We’d visit again when we returned.
The Spice Bazaar
The Spice Bazaar is an easy walk from the Grand Bazaar down a busy laneway lined with all sorts of shops. The locals are busily attending to what they needed in these shops. The shops change from homewares to food the closer to the Spice Bazaar you get. These included traditional Doner Kebap shops with meat layered generously on rotating grills. The smells from these were amazing!
The Spice Bazaar is not as big as the Grand Bazaar, but is equally fun to visit, maybe even moreso. Spices are pilled up into peaked mounds, nuts, dried fruits, chillies, scented oils, teas and all sorts of local sweets as also on offer.
We were joining an organised tour of Turkey in Istanbul. Our guide, Bayram, organised a picnic for us with food sourced from the Spice Bazaar and surrounding food vendors. Our picnic was in Gulhane Park (worth a visit for gorgeous flower beds and nice views) and we feasted on the best doner kebaps we had ever tasted. We still talk about them today! Additionally, we ate the Turkish equivalent of pastrami, and cheese which we rolled up in flatbread. Bayram had also bought us dried olives, nuts, fresh pistachio Turkish delight, and the most flavoursome dried fruit you could imagine (we still talk about that too).
The Arasta Bazaar
Behind the Blue Mosque is a laneway filled with very nice shops, known as the Arasta Bazaar. Depending on how much time you have, it’s worth a visit if you have several days to explore Istanbul. It’s a smaller, open air alternative to the Grand Bazaar (but I wouldn’t at all suggest you skip the Grand Bazaar in lieu of the Arasta Bazaar).
It wasn’t crowded at all when we visited during one afternoon. And we enjoyed a bit of window shopping, and some friendly hellos from the vendors as we passed.
What We Bought
When we returned to Istablul at the end of the holiday, we bought a set of copper and brass bowls in the Grand Bazaar. We had seen them in use many times during our Turkey trip. They were a regular feature at breakfast containing fried or baked eggs. We visited a few different places (definitely shop around!) to compare quality and prices. There were light weight bowls at a lower cost, but we were very happy with the heavier set we selected. They were 180 Turkish Lira (2014) and have nice chunky brass handles, and thick copper bases. We love them and use them regularly at home.
From the Spice Bazaar, we bought some delicious Turkish Delight. I will point out that it is nothing like the Turkish Delight you get in chocolate assortments. The real Turkish delight comes in many flavours, is not too soft and not too firm, filled with fresh nuts, and true to its name is a delight! It came in a lovely presentation box, and they vacuum sealed it to help get it home fresh.
It’s so nice to have memories of Istanbul in our home. One tip though, be aware of the weight of your suitcase, our pots had a bit of weight. If we go again, I want a Turkish coffee pot (called a Cezve), also in copper.