Where to buy what in Istanbul

Traditional shopping districts:

Covered (Grand) Bazaar (KAPALI CARSI):
Traditional Turkish wares such as leather, carpets, jewelry, textiles, ceramics, metalwork, etc.

There has been a lamentable decline in handicraft production in Turkey and many items
currently on sale in the Bazaar are not made in Turkey, especially textiles. Still, wandering
around the Bazaar is always fun and you can usually find some treasures.
Great place to buy leather garments, jewelry and carpets.

Carpet aficionados should take a look at the web version of HALI Magazine
which has a directory of reputable dealers in Istanbul and elsewhere.








Spice Market (MISIR CARSISI)
(Eminonu tramway stop)

Yes, they still sell spices and dried fruits and nuts. Also an increasing number of touristic
shops selling ceramics, textiles, jewelry etc. The area in back and to the side of the market are
not touristic at all, selling an amazing variety of stuff.

Nisantasi/Osmanbey/Sisli: Clothes and shoes.

Istiklal Caddesi: Books, music, galleries, clothes & shoes.

Modern shopping centers: The New Istanbul

METROCITY
(Levent)
Can be reached directly from the metro from Taksim. Get off at the first Levent stop.
Supermarket, clothing & toy stores. Nice cafes. Fast food outlets.

KANYON
(Levent)
Just up the street from MetroCity, a luxe shopping center in Istanbul. Excellent stores
(including Harvey Nichols of London) and a variety of restaurants and cafes.
Open air format. Very good cinemas and bookshop. Upper-crust.

CEVAHIR
(Sisli)
Huge (biggest in Europe!) enclosed shopping mall with a good variety of stores including a
supermarket, DYI store, department stores, cinemas, fastfood, cafes. Take the metro from
Taksim and get off at the Sisli-Mecdiyekoy stop. You can enter the shopping mall directly
from the metro stop. Mid-market.

CITIES
(Nişantası)
You can walk or take a taxi. Very nice cinemas. One good but expensive restaurant called
It’s a Joke. Fast food outlets. Lots of stores selling imported clothes etc.
Small grocery store with gourmet type items. Starbucks.

AKMERKEZ
(Etiler)
Take a taxi (about 30 minutes depending on traffic)  Upscale and shiny with lots of imported
merchandise plus cinemas, cafes & fast food outlets.
Shopping Recommendations
The world leader in its field, HALI (the name means carpet in
Turkish) is the glue that holds the international rug and textile art
market together.  HALI is an international quarterly magazine of
exceptional style, brimming with information. It is essential reading
for the amateur and the connoisseur alike.