The favorable location of Istanbul allowed it to become one of the centers of world trade. Book your Istanbul tour here Excurzilla. It is not surprising that one of the largest covered markets in the world, the Grand Bazaar, has emerged here, its history goes back more than 500 years. The Grand Bazaar is the unofficial world leader in terms of area (30,700 m2) and the number of goods presented. You can buy almost everything here.
How to get there
Take the metro to one of the interchange stations with the high-speed tram line (T1), change to it, get off at Beyazit station.
History of the Grand Bazaar
The history of the Grand Bazaar dates back to the reign of Suleiman the Great. The market was originally planned to be covered, construction was carried out from wood. After several fires, it was decided to erect buildings of stone. During its existence, the Grand Bazaar has been rebuilt many times. The current look corresponds to the 1960 project.
What to do and see in the Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar is one of the most famous landmarks in Istanbul. It is noteworthy that in 2013 about 91 million people visited the market.
We planned to visit the market solely for informational purposes, that is, without shopping. The first thing you feel when you get into the Grand Bazaar is scale and beauty. It is literally a city within a city, with its streets and quarters, many of which have retained their historical names. There are many cafes and restaurants on the territory.
The walls and ceiling of the Grand Bazaar are painted and convey a traditional oriental flavor. It is rather difficult to navigate inside, so we tried to fix the landmarks in the form of stalls, however, in the end we got a little lost.
We could not leave completely without shopping. We took along souvenirs, spices and sweets. As for the assortment of goods, almost everything is sold here - from food and clothing to exclusive jewelry. In our opinion, the price tag does not differ much from the stores, but somewhere higher. In non-touristy areas, you can arrange more budgetary shopping. Unlike shops, you can and should bargain here. Edible goods will definitely make you try, even if you don't buy them.
By the way, if the market does not completely exhaust you, then you can walk to Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque in 30 minutes. Or rent a car here Bookingcar
In short, in general:
- an atmospheric place with a national flavor;
- you can try traditional Turkish sweets;
- great for souvenir shopping.