Posted May 6, 201213 yr the grand bazaar in istanbul (kapalı çarşı, meaning "covered bazaar" or büyük çarşı, meaning "huge or grand bazaar" in turkish) is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops, which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. the two oldest sections, the “old bedesten” goes back to 1455 and the “sandal bedesten” was built in 1545. The “hans” and the rest went up and often came down in fires and eathquakes after that. the last major fires in the bazaar happened in 1943 and 1954, and the related restorations were finished on 28 July 1959. the last restoration of the complex took place in 1980. more bazaar wikiness: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Bazaar,_Istanbul grand bazaar website in english: http://www.grandbazaaristanbul.org/Grand_Bazaar_Istanbul.html beyazit gate kurcular carsisi square on left the sandal bedesteni or old bedesten cay (tea) trays a reportedly very old and still used water pump here in astarci han waiting out some rain at kardesler café in astarci han The turks drink cay (shay) or tea much more than Turkish coffee fez café cebeci han hmm, fez or turban? :-D fountain square intersections sark kahvesi one of the oldest turkish coffeehouses would you like to buy a rug? :wink2: the cevahir bedesteni or old bazaar shopping for prayer beads the boybeyi is reportedly formerly an old pudding shop -- the beautiful little historic wooden shop is 400 years old boybeyi fountain on right ^ (heart)breaking news -- boybeyi was busted up by an accident during the filming of the new james bond movie skyfall just days after i took these pics (the new movie is 007s 3rd visit to istanbul)! :whip: http://www.starpulse.com/news/NextMovie/2012/04/17/skyfall_stunt_destroys_historic_istanb the unbelievable cuhaci han :mrgreen: view of the nur-u osmaniye mosque here another entrance zincirli han courtyard yet another entrance random neighborhood carpet wholesaler kardseler restaurant galata bridge views over the golden horn (halic) to emminou neighborhood in front of the spice market a bit of istanbul’s massive ferry service system yeni camii or new mosque next to the spice market in front of yeni mosque :? and they don’t stop -- here is the misir carsisi or spice bazaar (1660) wiki on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice_Bazaar,_Istanbul they can hookah you up! :wink: many more shops around the crowded old spice bazaar neighborhood i had some kelle paca - it’s a turkish beer snack -- i’ll let you all google it! :-o :laugh: hocapasa camii or mosque ornate mosque door & ritual fountain the immediate hocapasa area has many esnaf lokantalari or workers restaurants sirkeci post office (1909) it replaced the 15th century original alley on right hobyar camii is the post office mosque (also 1909) rustem pasha mosque (1561) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%BCstem_Pasha_Mosque rustem pasha was the grand vizier of suleyman the magnificent. the well hidden little mosque, famous for its large quantities of exquisite iznik tiles, was built near the spice bazaar on a high terrace over a complex of vaulted shops whose rents were intended to financially support the mosque complex. the area shopkeepers are the major worshippers. indiana jones would have trouble finding it in the maze of shops, we got lucky ^ last is a real treat -- a stunning 360 interior view of rustem pasha mosque: http://www.3dmekanlar.com/en/rustem-pasha-mosque.html
May 6, 201213 yr Absolutely fascinating, this bazaar complex! I guess it goes without saying that only a mega-city like Istanbul could support such a vast shopper's paradise. (Even the renowned Mall of American pales in comparison, does it not?) Thanks, mrnyc, for the guided tour!
May 6, 201213 yr oh yeah its very interesting to compare modern malls like moa to the grand bazaar. i think the biggest difference is the latter is just so much more intense. also, as the shop keepers hand you a cup of tea, chat you up and bargaining is practically demanded, it really raises the shopping and purchasing experience to a whole new (old) level!
May 6, 201213 yr thanks, great pictures. But I wanna know, is "Turkish taffy" authentically Turkish or was it something something invented by a candy company (in collusion with dentists) to break American kids' teeth in the 60's? http://www.mainstreetpainesville.org/
May 6, 201213 yr haha yeah the turkish taffy or lokum is very local, they sell it everywhere not just the bazaars. of course locals go for the old specialty shops and for fresh over the stale variety gift pack you probably suffered in the 60s. i got a few shots of this i'll get to in another thread where you can actually see what i mean. lokum just happens to make an easy tourist gift, like the evil eyes. as for touristy, i'd guess maybe 50-50 for the grand bazaar? its certainly on every visitors must do list. the hipster fez cafe and the main drags are touristy, how many rugs or jewelry do you need? but the sidestreets were definately local. wedding/event clothes, circumcision uniforms, fabric, cheap mavi jeans and other flea market 99cent store stuff too. plenty of turks shopping in there. the spice market is even more local, 60-40 locals to tourists? in a way its a tough question because how touristy is the moa or abc carpet when plenty of locals shop in these places as well?
May 6, 201213 yr A couple of naive (but nevertheless serious) questions for you, mrnyc, concerning this fabulous, almost mythical bazaar... First, alcohol. Needless to say, I am an American with "American tastes," and endless serving of tea/coffee just don't get it. I realize that Istanbul is intricately connected to the Islamic world, but how does Islam affect those of us who want an alcoholic drink (especially in places like the bazaar)? Second, retailing. Yes, the bazaar complex attracts several hundred-thousand (+) visitors PER DAY--which is, by any shopper's standards, incredible! Yet so many merchants, selling similar merchandise, simply overwhelm even this number of buyers--that, at the end of each day, don't many sellers retreat with their pockets near empty? In other words, mrnyc, what's "the reality" of this fabled place? Is it real or is it a delusion? (how many working poor leave here daily, empty-handed?)
May 6, 201213 yr first of all there is tons of drinking and a roaring music and club scene in istanbul so there is plenty of that. i'll get to it in later threads when i can. however, many devout do not drink alcohol so i guess thats at least partly why they drink tea all day. that said, there are only a handful of places to eat/drink inside the grand bazaar anyway, most do not serve alcohol, but i think maybe you can get beer/wine at one or two places in the han courtyards, not sure. as for the shop keepers , dont lose ant sleep over the tourist oriented vendors like the rug dealers. they do a thriving worldwide business. we had a couple guys naming off ny shops and dept stores whom they sell to and their amazement at the markups. that said, there were working poor vendors as well with humble items like i mentioned above geared strictly toward other poor folks. of note - the whole area from the grand bazaar down to the spice bazaar on the golden horn waterfront is lined with shopping. the in-between is geared almost entirely toward locals.
May 6, 201213 yr Simply amazing. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
May 7, 201213 yr ^ yes - two kilims and some tiles for older relatives. actually the freaking fresh lokum is what weighed me down, that stuff is heavy as bricks. this time i used the strategy of bringing crappy clothes, then throwing them away every day so i had almost an empty bag by the end. i had to go to macys the day we got back lol!
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