Thing to do
Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı)
The 17th-century L-shaped market beside the New Mosque in Eminönü, with around 85 shops selling spices, dried fruit, Turkish delight, tea and nuts.
Grand Bazaar
One of the world's oldest covered markets, begun in the 1450s, with 61 vaulted streets of carpet, jewellery, ceramics and textile shops.
At a glance
- Type
- Covered market
- Area
- Beyazıt, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Official site
- kapalicarsi.org.tr
- Last checked
- October 23, 2026
Good to know
- Closed Sundays
Why we recommend it
Work on the Grand Bazaar began in the 1450s, soon after the Ottoman conquest, around a fortified hall for valuable goods. Over the centuries it grew into a maze of 61 covered streets lined with thousands of shops selling carpets, gold and silver, lamps, ceramics, leather and textiles, with hidden courtyard inns where craftsmen still work.
Come with time to get lost and without a fixed shopping list; haggling is normal for larger purchases, and it pays to compare prices across several shops. The bazaar is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Mornings are quieter, and the walk downhill through the market streets to the Spice Bazaar and Eminönü makes a natural route.
Reviewed by Lifestylemetro · Details checked October 23, 2026
Grand Bazaar FAQs
Is the Grand Bazaar open on Sundays?
No — it closes on Sundays and on public holidays.
How big is it?
It covers 61 covered streets with several thousand shops, plus a number of historic hans (courtyard inns).