Istanbul is heaven for shoppers and has been so since antiquity. Its unique position on the East-West trade route allowed merchants to pitch their wares to thousands of potential shoppers, many of whom were passing through the city. There are still bazaars, markets and specialty shops that sell traditional Ottoman artefacts but in recent years, there has been a proliferation of designer stores and shopping malls that could give Paris and Milan a run for their money. While the choice of items on sale in Istanbul is huge, you need to know where to go to find the best in quality and price. We’ve narrowed it down for you! Here’s a list of the five best places to shop in Istanbul.

1. The Grand Bazaar (Kapali Çarşi)

Established in 1461, the Grand Bazaar is one of the largest covered markets in the world. It spans 60 streets and houses more than 5,000 shops so even if you take two days to explore the bazaar, face it – you are not going to get to everything. Fortunately, the stores are grouped by the types of goods they sell, which makes life easier. The best items to find at the Grand Bazaar are textiles, ceramics, jewellery, spices and souvenirs. This Istanbul  bazaar gets extremely crowded so beware of pick pockets and young boys with spinning tops on strings, even if they tug at your heart strings by calling you mother (regardless of gender). The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and the best time to visit is near dawn when it opens.

2. The Spice Bazaar (Eminönü Egyptian Spice Bazaar)

A mini walk from the Grand Bazaar is the Spice Bazaar which dates from 1664. It’s open all week and is recommended as the top place to buy spices, dried fruit, Turkish delight, essences and oils. Spice Bazaar is at the centre of Eminönü, a central location for tourists as it is the last stop on the tram. When you reach Eminönü, look out for the New Mosque. To the right of it, you’ll see the spice bazaar.

3. Istiklal Street

Istikal Street is a lively pedestrian street that is home to hundreds of clothes stores, cinemas, bars and restaurants. Thought to be one of the most active streets in Istanbul, it is the perfect place for shoppers who are eager to bag a bargain. There are designer labels, Turkish labels, high-street fashion and plenty of budget shops for the price conscious. While on Istikal Street, keep an eye out for passageways leading to Markiz and Aznavur Arcades. Markiz has a selection of clothes, shoes and bags but be warned, it’s expensive. Aznavur Arcade also has a vast selection of clothes, jewellery souvenirs and even furniture and is more affordable than Markiz.

4. Akmerkez

Akmerkez is a four-storey shopping mall with almost 250 stores. Its location in the Beşiktaş district can be reached by the mall’s free transport which runs to and from neighbourhoods and hotels that are close by. This shopping mall has earned a number of awards since it opened in 1993 – best shopping centre in Europe in by ICSC (1995); best shopping centre in the world (1996) and best interior design by the European Commercial Property Awards (2010).

5. Sahaflar

If it’s books you are after, then you need to visit Sahaflar, a 15th century booksellers’ market in Beyazit. Sahaflar hosts 23 bookstores where you can buy stationery, textbooks, novels, calligraphy and holy literature. As well as all this, you can buy trinkets and old coins from pedlars.

Have you been to any of these shopping areas in Istanbul? If so what did you think? which is your favourite? Please share and discuss below.

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Istanbul is heaven for shoppers and has been so since antiquity. Its unique position on the East-West trade route allowed merchants to pitch their wares to thousands of potential shoppers, many of whom were passing through the city. There are still bazaars, markets and specialty shops that sell traditional...