My friend and I came to Istanbul in July 2013 for a week. Settled in the tourist and at the same time the historic district of Sultanahmet, in one of the small hotels. For 7 days of stay in the former capital of the Ottoman Empire, a blue mosque was visited, the Museum of Ayia Sofia, Jebatant. But how do not go to the nearby Grand Bazar and do not buy gifts to relatives?!
The Grand Bazaar is neither a museum or a religious monument. But this is the symbol of Istanbul, one of its main attractions, although by the general excursion. Get here easy. Do as we: Buy through a travel agency tickets and rooms at the hotel through a travel agency (we did, despite the visa-free regime between Ukraine and Turkey), then you will organize a transfer to the hotel and back to the airport absolutely free. In the hotel you can buy a map of Istanbul, even in Russian, or punch the road on the Internet, or ask for a reception. We were from the hotel to the Grand Bazaar there were 10 minutes (center Istanbul - Bayazete Square). From the Blue Mosque and Museum of Ayia Sophia, the distance is no more than a kilometer. All compact. If you settled not in the Sultanampete, then you will have to use the services of the tram-metro to the Sultanahmette and the GRAND-Bazaar stop.
Of course, in the wilds of the giant market, you can easily get lost. With us, for example, there was a local resident who had been here more than once. The Grand Bazaar is considered to be one of the largest covered markets in the world. It has more than 66 streets, 4400 shops, 2195 studies, 18 fountains, 12 mosques, 12 warehouses, 21 gates, school, sauna, as well as cafes, mail and currency exchange points. Interestingly, every day the market visits more than 500 thousand tourists. In 2013, that is, when the girlfriend and I were in Istanbul, the Grand Bazaar visited more than 91 million people, which made him the most visited tourist attractions of the planet.
By the way, the Grand Bazaar is sometimes called Capacies of Charssh.
So, the entrance ticket is not needed, but the way you will still have to remember. Do not forget, through which gate you went. For example, there is a Bayazit, Feschyler, Sahaflar and others. The construction of the market began in the middle of the 15th century, when the Turks captured Constantinople and proclaimed the Ottoman Empire. The earthquake of 1894 led to the need to reconstruct the bazaar. Until now, you can see the old and sandalwood posted in the central part of the complex in the central part of the complex, stand out by vaulted and domed ceilings. It is also interesting to read the names of the streets - for example, the street of hangelikov, self-worn street.
What to buy here? Everything that is your heart. For example, we acquired branded T-shirts for 15 Turkish Lear ($ 7.5), women's T-shirts for 22.5 Turkish lira ($ 11), real Turkish coffee for 15 lire and sea Turkish Delight. Please note that sellers speak English well and all the time will discourage you and wink. I externally look like Turkhanka, so many sellers began to talk to me in Turkish. Some sellers can pretend that they do not understand English. We fell on such: a man in the years and a partner guy pretended to be not understood in English, but when we picked up a lot of goods, then the language remembered sharply. Do not be surprised if you start asking you from what country you are how old you are, where you met your young man or even offer marriage. My girlfriend looked at himself a hareman for belly dance. I asked about their value, for which the owner of the shop - the elderly Turk - said: "Let your friend marry me, then the balls will get her free!".
The second condition is constantly trapping. Turks are raised rabid prices for goods. This is a whole game. My friend and I shot down a picture of a blouse with 37.5 Turkish lira ($ 18) to 22.5 ($ 11). The owner began to cry, they say, I will become bankrupt and so on. We regret it and bought for 22.5 liters. Then I visited Taksim's Square, where there are many shops, but with the price tags (on the Grand Bazaar most of the goods without a price tag). How I was surprised when the price of T-shirts saw in the store, even if they are somewhat worse in quality, in the area of 4-5 Turkish lira (2-3 dollars). In my justification, I will say that in Ukraine such things were worth two times, at least, more expensive.
On the Grand Bazaar, therefore, to buy expensive, at least more expensive than in the shops on Taksim Square. However, on the square you do not feel the color of the Eastern Fairy Tale and Trade. Only on the Grand Bazar you can buy everything - from pins to Turkish carpets, a variety of fabrics, clothes for every taste and color, including leather jackets and traditional Turkish bathrobes and shawls, fakes of famous brands (for example, "Lakoste"), Turkish sweets (Very expensive, but Magic-delicious), souvenirs (cups, plates, key rings, magnets, soaps), separate gems and Turkish casual baubles, there is even a spice market. Pay attention to the Turkish cold weapons and the famous Isika white-blue ceramics present in the blue mosque, and in the Topkapi Palace.
In the old part of the Grand Bazaar there are cafes where you can taste real Turkish tea, and in the passage of the indoor market you can buy Turkish bagels - Simit - and have a snack. This is true, very tasty.
Of course, to visit this attraction will be interested in all. It is not surprising that, even resting in Bulgaria, heard about travel-excursions by bus to Istanbul to the Grand Bazar. Here you can not only buy a lovely thing, but also to feel a real oriental flavor. Children will enjoy the diversity of paints and Turkish sweets, young will plunge into the atmosphere of romance, family people will look at something for their hearth, people of old age will slander themselves with young travelers and plunge into the atmosphere of wealth, and even resting alone will be interested in walking along the streets of this indoor market . I, as a historian, was very interesting.
The market indoor, so you can visit it without problems at any time of the year (neither the snow, no heat is terrible), but it works not every day: Sunday and religious holidays - weekends for merchants, and so from 8.30 to 19.00 6 days a week .
Visit this market is worth. I advise all your friends. Buy some nerd - too, just for the sake of interest to bargain. But to buy a lot - in no case.
