- Saturday 14th April 2012
Istanbul's Grand Bazaar is one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets.
The Grand Bazaar is one of Istanbul’s main tourist attractions. The internal maze of 61 streets and more than 3000 shops attracts between 25,000 and 40,000 visitors a day. This historic bazaar dates back to 1455, when it all started as a clothes market. Now the thriving bazaar has vendors selling all kinds of products.
Tram stop Beyazit-Kapaliçarşi on line T1 is just outside the Grand Bazaar’s gate.
First the positive: It’s a great feeling walking the streets and getting lost in this maze of covered shops, knowing that they have been here for centuries.
Now the negative. The shopkeepers’ mindset is: try to rip off the tourist. … OK, haggling may be a tradition in the Bazaar, but how long can you haggle? No matter how hard you try to bargain, with the price of the products being so high, it’s still a win-win situation for the shopkeepers. I feel sorry for those poor tourists who don’t haggle at all. I’m sure that’s a large percentage. They are handing their hard-earned cash to people who are taking advantage of them, and they don’t even consider that the smiling face thanking them for their business is more likely thanking them for being so naïve.
I hope I’m not talking people out of visiting the Grand Bazaar. One should visit it for its historic value. Enjoy it as a tourist attraction—but spend your money elsewhere.
The Grand Bazaar is one of Istanbul’s main tourist attractions. The internal maze of 61 streets and more than 3000 shops attracts between 25,000 and 40,000 visitors a day. This historic bazaar dates back to 1455, when it all started as a clothes market. Now the thriving bazaar has vendors selling all kinds of products.
Tram stop Beyazit-Kapaliçarşi on line T1 is just outside the Grand Bazaar’s gate.
First the positive: It’s a great feeling walking the streets and getting lost in this maze of covered shops, knowing that they have been here for centuries.
Now the negative. The shopkeepers’ mindset is: try to rip off the tourist. … OK, haggling may be a tradition in the Bazaar, but how long can you haggle? No matter how hard you try to bargain, with the price of the products being so high, it’s still a win-win situation for the shopkeepers. I feel sorry for those poor tourists who don’t haggle at all. I’m sure that’s a large percentage. They are handing their hard-earned cash to people who are taking advantage of them, and they don’t even consider that the smiling face thanking them for their business is more likely thanking them for being so naïve.
I hope I’m not talking people out of visiting the Grand Bazaar. One should visit it for its historic value. Enjoy it as a tourist attraction—but spend your money elsewhere.
Entrance to the Grand Bazaar.
It was busy.
Love the ceiling artwork.
Corner rug shop.
Selling Silver
One can not walk 10 feet before being harassed by the next shop keeper.
A modern rug store.
Spices and perfumes.
Colourful crockery
Colourful light shades
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