Grand Bazaar is one of the biggest and most famous landmarks of Istanbul. The place also is the largest covered bazaar in the world (so it’s known as Kapalicarsi, which means covered bazaar in Turkish). Grand Bazaar amazed every visitor with its 25.000 workers, 4000 stores, and 22 doors. In addition to its main point, shopping, for historical reasons, the place is definitely worth seeing. The building was made in 1460 with the order of Fatih the Conqueror, but it lasted until Suleiman the Magnificent times to be shaped to its today’s size. Of course, it is important to know that the building was made of wood initially and stayed like that for a long time. After the many fires and earthquakes the building had to deal with, Grand Bazaar turned into a solid shape.
The popularity of Grand Bazaar lasted until the 1990s, and for hundreds of years, the place was the center of gifts (especially if the gift were bought for special days), unique pieces, and furniture. Ofc, after the popularity of shopping malls spread throughout Istanbul, Grand Bazaar became a less preferable place. Nowadays, the crowd in Grand Bazaar usually consists of tourists and tradesmen. One thing that visitors should be cautious about is you can be scammed if you are a tourist. Unfortunately, the prices really change according to your nationality and the currency you use :/ In earlier times, the place which was the center of Istanbul’s shopping turned into a place where Istanbul’s locals are not welcomed.
What is happening inside?
Inns
As we mentioned, Grand Bazaar has been incredibly popular for hundreds of years. Also, the role of the place was more crucial in history. Due to its role in the business area and popularity, many inns were made to accommodate buyers and sellers from all over the world. Inns were divided into 2 types: those made for everyone and those that were special for the Grand Bazaar. Today just 4 of the inns still continue to be used. These are Çuhacı Inn, Cebeci Inn, Kalcılar Inn, and Zincirli Inn.
Bargaining
Now, you know the pricing policy in the Grand Bazaar. All you have to do is not get scammed. But there is a beautiful thing about shopping in the Grand Bazaar: bargaining! The sellers are usually very polite and open to bargaining. Ofc, there is a chance that they can give you ridiculous prices and, after you start bargaining, lower the price to the actual price, but this is not a common thing. Just do not forget that the sellers have done this job for years and can talk confidently and surprisingly. They mastered selling and bargaining by repeating these thousands of times, so do not be upset if you cannot get a successful discount 🙂
Food & Coffee
Due to the high number of workers and visitors, Grand Bazaar has many delicious and high-quality spots for food or coffee. Some of these places are located in the Grand Bazaar, and some are located outside. Do not expect a wide range of food tastes. It is hard to find international or more unique flavors around Grand Bazaar, but we are sure you will taste the delicious home foods there. Turkish tradesmen are very sensitive about their meals. Even in Turkey, tradesmen restaurants are very popular for eating delicious dishes, and everyone and tradesmen go there regularly.
You can visit Havuzlu Restaurant, Kofteci Mustafa, Bahar Restaurant, and Pedaliza Restaurant for delicious Turkish food. Then, if you want to drink a good coffee after your meal, definitely visit Fes Cafe or Sark Kahvesi.
Anything You Don’t Know About Grand Bazaar
- The street names in Grand Bazaar are named according to the shops that specific streets include. Each street is reserved for a different kind of seller.
- One of the safest areas in the Ottoman Empire was the Grand Bazaar. There were strict security precautions in place. It was unusual for theft to occur. As a result, the theft of 30,000 gold coins from Icbedesten (inside of the Grand Bazaar) in 1591 shocked Istanbul. The Grand Bazaar was shut down for two weeks while an inquiry took place, and the thief—an Iranian who sold musk—was eventually discovered after being tortured and interrogated.
- There was a shoe law that separated people in the Ottoman Empire. According to the law, Muslims wore yellow, Orthodox Greeks wore blue, Jews wore black, and Armenians wore red shoes. Grand Bazaar was the most popular place for this shoe shopping.
- Advertising was not allowed, and products could only be sold for the price set by the government.
- The shops were not in the shape of a room in old times. There were cabinets and shelves on the wall, and the sellers were sitting in front of them.
- In the Ottoman Empire, women usually did not participate in life outside of their houses, and their socializing was not welcomed. But, Grand Bazaar was one of the main spots for women’s social life. They could easily go to the Grand Bazaar, socialize and shop.
- Fathers typically passed down their professions to their sons.
- The Grand Bazaar was closed at night for security reasons. The Sultan alone was able to open it. The one and only night opening occurred in 1867 to commemorate Sultan Abdulaziz’s homecoming from Egypt. The Sultan waved to the people as he rode through the streets.
