Advantages: Fun if you've never been to a bazaar, Disadvantages: Not very exotic, not really cheap, dull merchandise
...includes a visit to the Grand Bazaar. It's fame is almost legendary but I have always found the response of tourists to be mixed; put simply you either love it or hate it.
Always one to buck the trend, my reaction having visited this summer was "It was OK". This is why…
Having been to Tunisia and Morocco I knew roughly what to expect of the Grand Bazaar. The hustle and bustle, rows of units selling the same stuff, confident and friendly traders, ... ...have a go.
The Grand Bazaar is basically an old covered market in the heart of Istanbul, a few minutes walk away from Sultanahmet. It has several entrances and consists of a maze of alleyways, each one specializing mostly in one kind of wares - so you'll get a row selling gold, another selling leather good and another selling glassware. Of course, just to confuse you, there are shops here and there which don't follow the pattern so don't be surprised ...
fizzytom 26.10.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Grand Bazaar (Istanbul)
Advantages: a must-see in Istanbul Disadvantages: a don't-go if you suffer from claustrophobia
...lived in Germany) suggested the Grand Bazaar, a sight which was on our list of sights anyway. It´s in the quarter Beyazit, the centre of Stambul, the oldest part of the city between the university and the Nuruosmaniye Mosque.
The Grand Bazaar doesn´t have its name for nothing, it covers about 32 ha. Are you impressed by this figure? Maybe not as much as when I tell you that it equals 42 football fields! Several halls have been built side by side, ... ...or even quarter. In the Grand Bazaar you can find rows and rows of shops selling only jewellery or carpets or leather clothes or ceramics or souvenirs made of copper or in the so-called Egyptian Bazaar only spices or caviar to name just a few articles.
What´s the idea behind the bazaar principle? We can´t get to the heart of the matter, can anyone help? If there´s only one shop selling a special article the people in charge can dictate the price, ...
MALU 12.07.2004 (30.09.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Grand Bazaar (Istanbul)
In the countries of North Africa and Middle East the destination most preferred by tourists is represented by the local small markets called "souk". These markets are usually located in a particular area of the cities and, usually, include many hundreds of small shops in alleys sometimes stinky. The shops are full of any type of goods that are displayed in a chaotic way. The price must negotiated time by time and the final one depends from your capacity ... ...is called "Bazaar" and takes place in a building constructed specifically to receive shops and stalls.
In Istanbul there are two "Bazaar". The first one is called "Kapalicarşi" or "Grand Bazaar" and it is the mostly known and patronized by international tourists. "Misir Bazaar" also known as "Bazaar of Spices" is the other one.
If you wish to really savour the true scents and see the true colours of Turkey, you must firstly visit the "Bazaar ...
traveller55 21.05.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Grand Bazaar (Istanbul)
Advantages: Exotic, colourful experience Disadvantages: Lots of hassling from merchants
...We are in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, a wondrous labyrinth filled with every kind of tourist trapping you could ever hope to buy. The Turks have really got into this viagra thing. Standing outside the Haghia Sophia that morning eating a banana, one of the guys was accosted by a Turk who warned him to be careful as he was eating Turkish viagra, before attempting to sell him something. (We discovered, to our cost, that it is impossible for a Turk to speak ... ...set on something that just will not be found again, it could prove very frustrating.
The Grand Bazaar is an exciting and crowded place. Be prepared to be polite but firm and to laugh anything off. You will get hopelessly lost, but you will thoroughly enjoy the whole experience. ...
sidinz 06.06.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Grand Bazaar (Istanbul)
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