Frommer's Review
The mother of all tourist traps, the Grand or Covered Bazaar is a vivid illustration of all that's gone wrong with the free market. The bazaar is a vast collection of over 2,600 shops (last count), 24 hans (privately owned inns or marketplaces), 65 streets, 22 gates, 2 bedestens (covered markets), restaurants, mosques, fountains, and teahouses. With over 500 goldsmiths each paying anywhere from 6,750YTL to 10,800YTL ($5,000-$8,000) per month in rent, it's easy to see why sales tactics are so aggressive. And like any of the world's major commercial centers, it attracts a disproportionate number of ruthless businessmen.
A free market gone awry, the bazaar used to operate on an Eastern mentality that factors a personal exchange into the process of buying and selling. (Although this can be a lovely way to get to know the people, buying a 14YTL ($10) item shouldn't require so much effort.) Innocent Westerners who are inexperienced or too embarrassed by the thought of bargaining (particularly Americans, who are less likely to bat an eye at a 38YTL/$28 T-shirt), naively fork over whatever it costs, ruining it for the rest of us. The result is that bargaining in the Grand Bazaar is falling into disuse and trinkets like those colorful hanging glass lamps are out of my price range. Nevertheless, if you show interest in an item, the price will more than likely be flexible. Etiquette requires that once you negotiate and agree on a price for something, it's rude to back out of the deal, but if we follow the rule of Grand Bazaar law, all's fair in shopping and war.
So how to explain wandering the corridors for 6 hours? Call it an addiction. Although anything but pleasant, it's still a mandatory stop on any itinerary in Istanbul. A good plan of attack is to enter via the Nuruosmaniye Gate (take a minute to admire the Nuruosmaniye Mosque, the first example of baroque-style architecture in Turkey), adorned with a marble fountain commemorating the fire of 1954 in which one-third of the bazaar went up in flames. This main drag is Kalpakçilar Caddesi, the glittering main thoroughfare lined on either side with shops of silver and gold. Turn right onto Kolancilar and follow it into the Iç Bedesten (Old Bazaar) for a dazzling collection of antiques, jewelry, and copperware. Turn right again and follow Aga Sokagi out of the bazaar into Çuhacilar Hani, a beautiful courtyard amid shops of antique silver and gold jewelry. On your way down the passage to the han, notice the chaos of the open-air Stock Exchange, packed shoulder to shoulder with cellphone-wielding financiers.
To the north of the bazaar just beyond the exterior gates is a scattering of more hans, less-frequented workshops with retail outlets that are infinitely more charming than those inside. Because much of the merchandise is made on the premises, prices can be lower than in the main bazaar area.
The Silk Bazaar (Sandal Bedesten), the oldest section of the bazaar (it was built 10 years after the Iç Bedesten, but burned down twice before being rebuilt in stone), and the Cervahir Bedesten couldn't be farther apart these days; while Cervahir's quality silver and jewelry can be found in Barney's New York shop windows, the Sandal Bedesten traded in its namesake silk for acrylic and sweats.
Two Cafes in the Grand Bazaar -- Need a shot of caffeine? Fez Café (tel. 0212/527-3684; Halicilar Cad. 62) and Café Ist (tel. 0212/527-9353; Tarakçilar Caddesi), both located in the Grand Bazaar, are open Monday through Saturday 8:30am to 7pm, and offer sanctuary from endless cups of Nescafe with a wide selection of coffees, flavored teas, and fresh-squeezed juices.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
