Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı)

Originally the trade center of the Byzantine empire during the 1400’s, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is still deserving of its name to this day.  It’s easy to get lost in the enormity of this bazaar with its 18 entrances and more than 4,000 shops.  Not to mention difficult to choose which seller to buy anything from.

Our Take: Worth popping in as your time allows but beware this can be a total time suck because of its sheer size and the amazing amount of well-made products Turkey has to offer. Stall vendors are aggressive so put your game-face on before entering. We went at the end of the day just before dinner to ensure that we wouldn’t waste too much time. While we meant to go back to make a few small purchases we never did – which worked out for us in the end as it was all probably stuff that while nice to have wasn’t ultimately important to our life happiness.  We’d suggest spending that time exploring the Asian side of the city, sipping tea next to locals playing backgammon.

Grand Bazaar Essentials

Type: Market Place
Entrance Fee: No Entrance Fee
Visiting Hours: Summer / Winter Between 08:30 – 19:00 Hours
Closed Days: Every Sunday

Website: Grand Bazaar Website