Flea markets
Just the mention of Istanbul conjures exotic images in people’s minds. Istanbul has been famous through history for its indigenous spices, carpets and many such goods. So, if you are visiting Istanbul as a tourist, shopping is definitely high on the priority list. Istanbul with its flourishing flea markets is a mini paradise for all you shopaholics. Get ready to be enveloped by these flea markets selling everything from spices to exotic jewellery to carpets and furniture.
Just a little word of caution- try not to carry a lot of valuables with you and keep the ones that you are carrying close to you at all times. You don’t want to end up losing more than you shop in the flea markets of Istanbul.
Now, you can get completely lost in the city simply because there are so many shopping options to choose from. To make things easier for you, here is a compiled list of flea markets, which will make your job a hell lot easier.
Grand Bazaar
Open on all days except Sundays from 8:30 am to 7 pm
Location- Close to Bayezid II Mosque and Bayezid Square with the Nuruosmaniye Mosque.
The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest markets all over the world. It dates back to the fifteenth century and has close to 4000 shops. It is a truly magnificent market with shops selling beautiful glassware, Turkish carpets and different goods made of copper, brass and leather. All the goods here are very characteristically Turkish and so, this is an excellent place to get a whiff of the local culture.
The Egyptian Spice Market
Open on all days except Sunday from 8 am to 7 pm
Location- Eminönü
As the name suggests, the Egyptian Spice Market or the Misir Carsisi (in local language) specialises in a rich variety of spices. This flea market has close to a 100 shops and is the place to go to for spices like saffron, turmeric, chilli etc in Istanbul. Over the years, shops in the flea market have expanded their business beyond spices and so one can find traditional puppets and belly dancing costumes also.
Kadijoy Flea Market
Open Tuesdays from 8am to 7 pm
Location – Asian Side of Bosophorus
The flea market at Kadijoy lacks the grandeur of the Grand bazaar but neverthless, it is a small and composite flea market of Istanbul. It has a wide spectrum of traditional Turkish clothing items are very cheap prices and also a decent collection of local food items.
Besides the above mentioned flea markets, there are several other small scale flea markets like Ortakoy market and The Horhor Çarþýsý which specialise in a particular niche like ceramics or carpets etc.
Feel free to ask a question or leave a reply!
