Istanbul’s grand bazaar

Grand bazaar Istanbul location and hours

The Grand Bazaar of Istanbul (Kapalı Çarşı) is located in the Fatih neighborhood and is very close to the city’s sightseeing and historical places, such as Hagia Sophia and Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Since this market is located in the city center and the European part of Istanbul, it is easy to reach by public transportation.

To reach this covered market, just take tram line t1 and get off the tram at Beyazit – Kapali Çarşi station. After a short walk, enter the winding streets of this old market, built in 1497, and start a new adventure.

I must mention that this market is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., but it is closed on Sundays and holidays such as Eid al-Fitr. It is also good to know that, in my experience, some sellers open their shops one to two hours late.

Click to see Grand bazaar location

Explore Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

To enter this market, you must enter through one of the 21 entrances that this market has. When entering this market, you must go through the gate I have placed in the picture below to check your items.

From the moment you enter this market, you can see the crowd and noise because there are about 4000 shops inside. According to an Eresin report, about 250,000 people visit this market every day.

Since Turks respect their country’s flag very much, you can see the Turkish flag in all different parts of the market, which, in my opinion, shows the Turkish people’s interest in their country.

Sellers always try to attract tourists by using tricks to sell their products. Some may be very kind and ask you to enter their shop to drink tea together. Since the Turks are hospitable, it is better to accept their offer and talk to them while drinking tea to learn more about their culture.

From the past until today, this market has been divided into different sectors. In some parts of it, like the Egyptian Bazaar, there are many spice shops; in some streets, you can see gold shops, and in others, you can see different clothes shops next to each other.

Many different goods, such as gold, leather, Turkish towels, bags, shoes, clothes, tiles, ceramics, hand-woven carpets, etc., are sold in this market. Still, be careful when shopping so that the sellers do not sell you fake goods because fraud is pervasive in Istanbul Grand Bazaar.

Do not buy from the shops inside Istanbul Grand Bazaar

Most of the people who visit this market are tourists, and because of this, the sellers use this opportunity to sell their goods to tourists at about 30% more expensive than the shops outside the market.

According to the conversations I had with the local people, I realized that this market offered quality products at a reasonable price in the past. Still, with the booming tourism in Istanbul, the sellers took this opportunity to profit more by selling at high prices.

So, up to this point in the article, you have noticed that most of the shops in this market are expensive and it is better not to buy from them and go to this Bazaar just to visit and learn about the culture and history of the people of Istanbul. However, some shops in the Grand Bazaar are reliable, and you can buy from them. If you want to learn about the reliable shops in Grand Bazaar Istanbul, you can read the article “Best shops in Grand Bazaar Istanbul.”

If, despite what I said above, you intend to buy from the shops of the Grand Bazaar, I recommend you to buy from the shops that are around and outside the Istanbul Grand Bazaar, and by bargaining, you can get the goods you intend to buy at a lower price. I advise you to read the article “How to bargain in Turkish Grand Bazaar?” to learn about my bargaining strategy.

Pros of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

1. 4000 shops sell different goods; you can find everything in this market.
2. In this market, you can learn about the history and culture of the people of Istanbul
3. This market has beautiful architecture that can charm you
4. Istanbul Grand Bazaar can entertain you for 3 to 4 hours
5. Some sellers give free Turkish sweets to tourists to try

Cons of Istanbul Grand Bazaar

1. Overcrowding
2. The possibility of some sellers deceiving you
3. The price of 90% of the products sold in this market is much higher than their actual price
4. Many fake products are sold in this market

In closing

I recommend visiting this market to every tourist who has traveled to Istanbul because by visiting it, you can learn about the hidden gems and old traditions of this city that cannot be found in luxury shopping centers, but I advise you not to buy from this market because you can find better opportunities outside the market to buy cheap.