WHAT TO BUY
Many people come to Istanbul for shopping alone. Kapali Çarşi (Covered Market or Grand Bazaar) is the logical place to start as the area and variety is immense. Still the commercial center of the old city, the bazaar is the original shopping “mall” with a vast selection of carpets, souvenirs, clothes, shoes, jewels and handicrafts made from ceramics, copper and brass. Many shops have recently sprung up around Aksaray selling leather, suede and fur coats, catering mainly for Russian and Eastern European buyers. Mısır Çarşısı (Mint Bazaar) is good for picking up spices, lokum (Turkish Delight), flavored teas and small souvenirs.
Sultanahmet has become another shopping mecca in the old city mainly because it has the highest concentration of tourist attractions. Istanbul Sanatlari Çarşisi (Bazaar of Istanbul Arts) in the 18th century Mehmet Efendi Medresesi, and the nearby 16th century Caferaga Medrese, built by Sinan, offer you the chance to see craftsmen at work and to purchase their wares. In the Arasta (old bazaar) of the Sultanahmet Mosque, a thriving shopping arcade selling carpets, jewellery and local arts makes both shopping and sightseeing very convenient. There are many carpet shops in this area, and the chances are that sooner or later you will be approached by one of many dealers to visit his shop.
The sophisticated shops of Taksim and Nisantasi districts, contrast with chaos of the bazaars. Istiklal Caddesi and Cumhuriyet Caddesi have shops selling elegant fashion wear made from Turkey’s high quality textiles. Exquisite jewellery, as well as finely designed handbags and shoes can also be found. Nisantasi is the main area for clothes by top Turkish and global designers.
For an even more modern, European shopping experience, the huge new malls of Kanyon Shopping Mall, Metro City Shopping Mall, Akmerkez Mall where you can find many Turkish fashion shops and branches of Istanbul’s most elegant shops as well as restaurants and cinemas.
In Istanbul’s busy flea markets there is an astonishing assortment of goods, both old and new. There is a daily opportunity to poke about the Sahaflar Çarşisi and Çinaralti in Beyazid areas. On Sundays, in a flea market between Sahaflar and Covered Bazaar, vendors uncover their wares on carts and blankets. Çukurcuma Sokak and Horhor Çarşisi is a collection of shops selling furniture of varying age and quality.
