What to Buy
 Many
people come to
Istanbul for the
shopping alone. The
Kapali Carsisi, or
Covered Market, is
the logical place to
start as the area
and variety is
immense.
Still the commercial
centre of the old
city, the bazaar is
the original
shopping “mall” with
a vast selection of
carpets, souvenirs,
clothes, shoes,
jewellery and
handicrafts made
from ceramics,
copper and brass.
Many shops have
recently sprung up
around Aksaray
selling leather,
suede and fur coats,
catering mainly for
Russian and Eastern
European buyers. The
Misir Carsisi is
good for picking up
spices, locum,
flavoured teas and
small souvenirs.
(See section on
Bazaars.)
Sultanahmet has
become another
shopping mecca in
the old city mainly
because it has the
highest
concentration of
tourist attractions.
The Istanbul
Sanatlari Carsisi
(Bazaar of Istanbul
Arts) in the 18th
century Mehmet
Efendi Medresesi,
and the nearby
16th-century
Caferaga Medrese,
built by Sinan,
offer you the chance
to see craftsmen at
work and to purchase
their wares. In the
Arasta (old bazaar)
of the Sultanahmet
Mosque, a thriving
shopping arcade
selling carpets,
jewellery and local
arts makes both
shopping and
sightseeing very
convenient. There
are many carpet
shops in this area,
and the chances are
that sooner or later
you will be
approached by one of
many dealers to
visit his shop.
The sophisticated
shops of in the
Taksim and Nisantasi
districts contrast
with the chaos of
the bazaars.
Istiklal Caddesi and
Cumhuriyet Caddesi
have shops selling
elegant fashionwear
made from Turkey's
high quality
textiles. Exquisite
jewellery, as well
as finely designed
handbags and shoes
can also be found.
Nisantasi is the
main area for
clothes by top
Turkish designers.
For an even more
modern, European
shopping experience,
the huge new malls
of the Atakoy
Galleria Mall in
Atakoy, the Akmerkez
Mall in Etiler and
the Carousel Mall in
Bakirkoy have have
European outlets,
Turkish fashion
shops, as well as
restaurants and a
cinema. have
branches of
Istanbul's most
elegant shops. In
Bakirkoy, the
Carousel Mall is
worth a visit, as is
the Atlas Passage in
Beyoglu. Bahariye
Avenue, Bagdat
Avenue,and Capitol
Mall on the Asian
side, offer the same
shopping
opportunities.
In Istanbul's busy
flea markets there
is an astonishing
assortment of goods,
both old and new.
There is a daily
opportunity to poke
about the Sahaflar
Carsisi and
Cinaralti in the
Beyazit areas. On
Sundays, in a flea
market between the
Sahaflar and the
Covered Bazaar,
vendors uncover
their wares on carts
and blankets. The
Horhor Carsisi is a
collection of shops
selling furniture of
varying age and
quality. Flea
markets are open
daily in the Topkapi
district, on
Cukurcuma Sokak in
Cihangir, on Buyuk
Hamam Sokak in
Uskudar, in the
Kadikoy Carsi Duragi
area, and between
Eminonu and
Tahtakale. After a
Sunday drive up the
Bosphorus, stop
between Buyukdere
and Sariyer to
wander through
another lively
market.
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