There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere and hubbubs of a Turkish Bazaar or open air market as we know them. When in Turkey, you will come across many local bazaars which are held weekly in most towns and villages all across Turkey.
These markets sell a huge variety of produce from fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese and dairy produce, clothing, home wares, garden items and plants to carpets and wonderful street food.
The atmosphere is colorful and hectic with vendors shouting tempting prices and welcoming you to his stall. The colors and smells luring you in is enough to keep you coming back for more.
Bazaars are the perfect place to pick up a souvenir for your family back home or to grab a bite to eat between shopping.
In the Turkish Bazaars bartering or haggling is the best way to pick up a bargain, and haggling is completely normal and quite the tradition in Turkey.
The largest bazaar in Turkey is located in Istanbul and is known as the Grand Bazaar. This is one of the oldest covered markets in the world being built in 1461. The bazaar is open every day and boasts over 4000 shops selling just about anything you could need.
The smaller bazaars located in pretty much every town and villages are weekly, and provide locals and tourists with wonderful opportunities to stock up on fresh produce.
Whilst wandering through the bazaars make sure to check out the street food and snacks. You have to try freshly cooked gozleme griddled while you wait with a variety of fillings including spinach, cheese and potato. These tasty gozleme are normally accompanied by Turkish tea and pickles.
Sometimes foreigners are hesitant to visit the bazaars with the fear of being ripped off or given “tourist prices” but don’t make that mistake. The smaller and more traditional bazaars are a great experience to explore and often much cheaper than the tourist shops found in resort areas. The Turkish bazaar sellers are also extremely friendly and often offer samples of their produce for you to try before you buy.
Simply make the most out of it, enjoy the hustle and bustle, barter like the Turks and explore, you’re sure to leave with many more bags than you expected.