To enjoy Istanbul fully, one should definitely lose oneself in the city, and to blend oneself with the city, the Grand Bazaar should definitely be visited. The Grand Bazaar is in fact a separate world within Istanbul. It is active, crowded, inviting, indispensable for Istanbul. In this bazaar that attracts tourists from all over the world, you can find not only a glorious history but also antique dealers, jewelers, bag makers, leather shops, carpet sellers –in short, everything you look for.

Being the oldest and largest historical bazaar of the world, the Grand Bazaar was built on Sultan Fatih’s order to provide income for Hagia Sophia Museum. In this historical bazaar located between Nuruosmaniye and Beyazıt Mosques, Cevahir and Sandal bedestens* started their activities first. It has ever since been a center for shopping.

* A bazaar in which valuable goods like clothes, jewelry, etc. are bought and sold.
61 streets, 4000 shops!
As the Ottoman Empire grew larger, the Grand Bazaar also kept up with the development of the capital. The bazaar that initially had two bedestens, has now an area of about 47 thousand square meters. Although the Grand Bazaar went through eleven fires and two earthquakes, it still fascinates the visitors with its architecture. It is composed of 61 streets some of whose names refers to different businesses such as Fesçiler (fez sellers), Kalpakçılar (fur cap sellers), Aynacılar (mirror sellers). We can define İç Bedesten, which is set on an area of around 1500 square meters, and Sandal Bedesteni, which comprises an area of 1300 square meters, as the half-detached parts of the bazaar. Around the bazaar are the inns that are again parts of the bazaar.

Today there are around 4000 shops in the Grand Bazaar. Most of the travelers who visited the bazaar in the past portrayed it as a quite, solemn place. Now it is just the opposite. You can hear the shopkeepers invite people in while you are wandering in the bazaar. Within this invitation, you can hear words, perhaps from 10 different languages. The old style of treat is still valid. Bargaining on the other hand is one of the rituals of shopping in the Grand Bazaar. This ritual gives pleasure to both sellers and buyers.

Added (06.07.2009, 20:42)
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The largest jewel bazaar of the world
Grand Bazaar is the largest jewel bazaar of the world. To tour it completely, you have to spend at least three days. This may sound like an exaggeration, but you’ll understand that it is true when you see the plenitude and variety of shops.
If you want to walk through the bazaar according to a program, you are advised to start from the Nuruosmaniye or Kürkçüler gate. You can find the best gold and brilliant designs in the jewelry shops along the Kalpakçılarbaşı Street leading to the Nuruosmaniye gate. If you say “Seeing is not enough, I want to buy them”, then you should have a look at as many shops as possible. The most popular jewelers of this street are Kafkas and Fuat Kırgız. When you walk towards the end of the street, you can come across the shops that sell second-hand clocks. Again on this street, leather addicts have a popular place called Punto.

If you enter into the bazaar from the Nuruosmaniye section, turn right at the second turning and walk till the end of the street. About 20 meters ahead, you’ll see the entrance of Zincirli Inn on your right. This inn is the most beautiful and original caravanserai of the Grand Bazaar. Here is a paradise for carpet-fans. This is because the shops of Şişko Osman with a legendary collection are in this inn. Şişko Osman has the largest collection of carpets in the world. It is said that this collection can be compared with Damat Ibrahim Pasha Palace.

Favorite of famous designers
On Yağlıkçılar Street in the bazaar you can find many cloth shops. Don’t think that cloth is a simple thing and it can be bought anywhere, because these shops are visited by famous designers like Donna Karan, Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier and Rıfat Özbek to find inspiration. If you like hand-made clothes, the most abundant kinds are sold in Remzi Fırat at #13. This shop also has a new branch called ‘Ethnic City’ on Yorgancılar Street at #14.

If you are interested in hand-painted cloths and Ottoman caftans, you are recommended to go to Muhlis Günbattı’s shop on Perdahçılar Street. This shop has a wide range of products as well as caftans and carpets. Sivaslı Istanbul Yazmacı on this street is also one of the oldest shops of the bazaar. This small shop in which you can find all kinds of Anatolian hand-made textiles, is a popular place for both local and foreign designers. Textiles, loincloths and hand-painted cloths from several different regions of Turkey are sold here. Eğin Tekstil at #18 at the entrance of the Örücüler Gate is a 145 year old shop. Here are silk textiles, traditional hand-made textiles, hand-painted cloths and flax beddings.

Added (06.07.2009, 20:42)
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For antique lovers
The Old Bedesten section of the bazaar is a popular place for antique lovers. Shops that sell ornaments, carpets, and old clocks are also here. The most famous shops of this section are Şalabi and Ziva Antik. If you would like to buy 22-carat gold ear-rings from Mardin and Diyarbakır, each pair designed specifically for only one piece, you should definitely go to Mavi Köşe at #11. If you don’t like gold and you’re interested in natural stones, Stil Inci is perfect for you. Here you can find accessories of all kinds of natural stones. If you wish, you can even have your own designs made. Again in this section, Erdün Collection sells decorative products like lanterns and oil lamps.

Traditional is blended with modern!
Although the Grand Bazaar seems more of an authentic structure, you can still come across some shops where tradition is blended with modernity. Especially in Derviş at #19 on Keseciler Street, you can find bathroom accessories, traditional hand-made textiles, hand-painted cloths, pillowcases, jackets and shirts from Anatolian villages. If you need to decide on what to take with you as a present when you go abroad, here you’ll find perfect options.

Another shop is Abdulla. Here are bathroom accessories, soaps, towels, loincloths, beddings and carpets as well. Deli Kız on the same street is the correct address for those who want to buy gifts. Deli Kız, which sells souvenirs and clothes with Turkish motifs, has a branch for children.

What to eat and drink
You wandered, got tired and hungry, or you want to have a rest while drinking something? Besides shops and stores, there are also traditional restaurants and cafes in the bazaar. The most famous one of them is Havuzlu Restaurant, known by its generosity. Historical Şark Kahvesi on Yağlıkçılar Street is another alternative where you can have its famous coffee and get rid of your exhaustion. Fes Cafe, Sultan Cafe and Life Cafe are also popular cafes of the bazaar.

‘Carşı-i Kebir’*, ‘The Big Bazaar’, the Grand Bazaar or the Closed Box as Orhan Veli said is the place of several occupations, masters and apprentices, gold and silver, tourists and Istanbulites, and no place in the world can compare to the Grand Bazaar.