Shopping In Asian Side of Istanbul | Top 15 Malls & Street

Most travellers think they must go to the European part of the city to shop in Istanbul. Still, they don’t know that in the last few years, many shopping centers and streets have been built in the Asian side of Istanbul, and they can buy the best goods from them without going to European part.

You may be familiar with this issue but don’t know about the best shopping centers on the Asian side of Istanbul, so you want to learn about the shopping centers and streets on that side.

The good news is that I visited all the different parts of the city during my three-month trip to Istanbul, and I am familiar with the shopping malls on the Asian side.

In this article, I will share my experience of visiting these shopping centers with you, so stay with me until the end.

 List of the best shopping malls in the Asian side of Istanbul

If you are in a hurry and want to know the location of shopping centers as soon as possible, pay attention to the following list:

Emaar Square shopping center

According to my conversations with tourists and local people in Istanbul, I realized that the Emaar Square shopping center is the best in the Asian side of Istanbul and is considered among the top 10 shopping centers in this city.

After visiting this shopping center, I agree with other tourists that Emaar Square is the most luxurious and the best shopping center in the Asian side of Istanbul.

The very modern and luxurious architecture of this shopping center made shopping there never boring for me. I found everything I wanted to buy easily during my visit to this mall.

According to the information I got from the security department of this shopping center, more than 400 stores of international and Turkish brands operate in it.

Below, you can see the most famous brands and products sold in this mall:

You can visit the website www.emaarsquaremall.com  to see all the brands available in this mall.

In addition to the variety of stores in this shopping center, the designers of Emaar Square have also considered different sections for the entertainment section.

Among the other fun and attractive parts of Emaar Square are a large aquarium, marine zoo, cinema and theater halls, bowling, virtual reality, Fun Lab game city, and a very beautiful and eye-catching fountain.

What caught my attention when visiting Emaar Square was the design of the square in this shopping center, which is very similar to Burj Khalifa Square. After researching, I found out that the design company of this shopping center was also responsible for the design of Burj Khalifa, which could be the reason for this similarity.

Emaar Square shopping center is located in the Üsküdar neighbourhood and can be reached by public transportation. The nearest metro station to this shopping center is Ünalan station, accessible by the M4 line.

Visiting hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m

Istanbul Palladium Shopping Center

Palladium Mall has an exciting and attractive design. Its entrance is a glass that shines like the moon at night.

This shopping center was built in 2008 in the Asian area of ​​Ataşehir and has 190 stores on five floors. Its area reaches 40 thousand square meters, and it is considered one of the largest shopping centers in Istanbul.

Due to the large number of stores, I could not collect the list of all brands, but the most famous brands I saw are as follows.

Clothing and sports equipment brands: Pierre Cardin, Michael Kors, Nike, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, Jane Armani, Zara, C&S, Gap, M&S, LC Waikiki, Cotton, Bershka, Mango, Benton, Polo

Cosmetics brands: Sephora, Mac, Yves Rocher

Other brands: Samsung, Paşabahçe, Massimo Dutti, Zen Diamond

You can visit the website www.palladiumatasehir.com to see all the brands and learn about your favorite brands’ existence.

Like other shopping centers in this city, Palladium has many facilities. During my visit, besides numerous stores, restaurants, coffee shops, and food courts, I saw a movie theatre, a hair salon, and a parking lot with a capacity of 2,500 cars.

The cost of entertainment and products in this shopping center is the same as the luxury shopping centers in Istanbul and is not cheap.

There are more than 20 restaurants in the Istanbul Palladium shopping center, each with a menu that meets the tastes of all tourists. In addition to delicious food and drinks, these restaurants also have a pleasant view.

One of the cool places in this mall that caught my attention was the KidZania play center, which kids love. In KidZania, children enter the world of adults and can experience adult jobs such as banking, firefighting, etc.

Palladium Istanbul shopping center is located in the Ataşehir district. You can use the M4 metro line to reach this area and get off at Yenisahra station.

Palladium Istanbul working hours: 10 am to 10 pm

Akasya Istanbul Shopping Center

Akasya is one of the most attractive shopping malls in Istanbul, but tourists may need to pay more attention to it. If I were to rank shopping centers in Istanbul, I would put Akasya among the top 10.

The roof of this shopping center is made of glass so that sunlight can be used optimally during the day. The interior design of this shopping center is inspired by Bagdat Street in Istanbul, which can be easily noticed by turning on the lights at night.

Victoria’s Secret, Hugo Boss, Skechers, Swatch, Apple, and Armani are some of the international brands in this shopping center. The variety of brands and products, such as clothing, jewelry, watches, and electronics, is another strength of this shopping center.

Among the other positive points of this shopping center are the existence of a cinema, various Turkish and international restaurants, parking, and tax-free shopping.

Akasya Istanbul shopping center is located in the Acibadem district of the Üsküdar district of Istanbul. Due to its proximity to the Bosphorus Strait, essential highways, and the public transportation system, Akasya Shopping Center has good access all over Istanbul. To go to this shopping center, take the M4 metro and get off at Acıbadem station. If you have trouble finding it, use the map below.

Working hours: 10 am to 10 pm

Website: www.ak-asya.com.tr

Kozzy shopping center in Istanbul

Due to its location on Bagdat Street, the Kozzy Shopping Center is always crowded and is considered one of the most popular shopping centers in the Asai district of Istanbul.

I went to this mall entirely by chance when visiting Bagdat Street, but I didn’t regret going there because I came across a luxury mall with unique stores and facilities.

This shopping center is smaller than the three shopping centers I introduced, but in terms of facilities, it has nothing less than them, and you can understand this by reading the section below.

1. Kozzy Istanbul shopping center has more than 90 stores
2. It has eleven restaurants in addition to stores.
3. It has six floors
4. Theatre and cinema with a capacity of 400 people
5. Concert hall with a capacity of 200 people
6. Three conference rooms with a capacity of 90 people
7. A food court with several restaurants
8. Charming and large outdoor terrace
9. Playground for children and teenagers
10. High capacity parking
11. Safe deposit box
12. Child care room
13. Car wash

The prices of the products in this shopping center are similar to those of luxury shopping centers in Istanbul. Still, if I want to be more precise, it is better to know that the prices in this shopping center are slightly lower than in Emaar Square and Akasya.

During my visit to this shopping center, I saw the presence of international brands such as Magno, koton, LC Waikiki, Migros, etc. The small size of this shopping center has not affected the variety of its stores, and all the products I was looking for, such as clothes, bags and shoes, accessories, household appliances, etc., were available in this shopping center.

My suggestion for accessing the Kozzy shopping mall is to get off the metro line M4 at the Kozyatagi station, reach this place after a 15-minute walk.

Visiting hours: 10 am to 10 pm

Bagdat Street

Now, it’s time to move away from the Asian malls and talk about my experience visiting the shopping streets on the Asian side of Istanbul. I have often visited this luxurious and beautiful street during my trips, but I want to express my shopping experience in this section.

Bagdat Street in Istanbul is 14 kilometres long. It is located along the Sea of ​​Marmara and leads from the east to Kadıköy and from the west to Maltepe. Two sides of Bagdat Street are full of hotels, clothing stores, cosmetics, perfumes, household appliances, cafes, restaurants, etc.

Even if you do not intend to buy, walking in this street will be a pleasure. If you plan to shop, go before sunset because after sunset and at night, this street becomes very crowded and becomes a place to have fun rather than a place to shop.

Bagdat Street also has shops selling cheap and fake products, which is why the prices of products on this street are a little more affordable than those in shopping malls.

• Vakko store, one of the famous shoe brands.
• Paşabahçe, one of the largest and most luxurious stores for decorative items and crystal dishes.
• Beymen store, one of the most famous clothing stores
• Louis Vuitton, Escada S, Mango, Cotton, Zara, Lancôme, Bershka, etc., were among the most influential brands I saw on this street.

There are many ways to get to this street, but I always choose the most attractive way, which is by ferry. First, I take the metro from Taksim Square to Kabataş, and then I take the tram to the Eminönü neighbourhood. I board the ferry at Eminönü pier and go to the Asian section and the Kadıköy neighbourhood, where Bagdat Street is located.

Read the article “Bagdat Street Istanbul Shops” for more information about this street.

Visiting hours:  the best time to shop is from 10 am to 8 pm.

Kadıköy neighbourhood

Kadıköy is not a street like Bagdat, but it is the name of a neighbourhood in Istanbul, where Bagdat Street is also located. The Kadıköy neighbourhood has many shopping malls, luxury streets, and local markets.

Kozzy shopping center, which I introduced above, Istanbul Optimum shopping center, and Istanbul Nautilus Tepe shopping center are among the most crucial shopping centers in this neighborhood. Bagdat Street, which is very similar to Istiklal Street, a tram that has passed through it, is also considered the most important shopping street in the Kadıköy neighborhood.

Kadıköy, fishmonger, and Tuesday markets are some of the best local markets for buying cheap products. However, you can rarely find branded products in these markets.

Therefore, do not go to these markets if you are looking for original and branded products. These shopping markets are an excellent opportunity to learn about the culture and traditions of the people of Istanbul.

How do to go from Taksim to the Asian side?

The best way to access the Asian side and visit shopping centers is to use the M4 metro line. If you are in Taksim Square, you can go to Yenkapi station using line M2, line B2, or line M4 at Airilik Cesmesi station and go to the shopping center you want.

In conclusion

The table below provides a better view of Asian shopping malls in Istanbul. You can choose one to visit and shop according to your needs.