Private tours of Bazaars of Istanbul with an Expert

his historic market features narrow cobblestone streets lined with shops selling traditional Turkish goods. Visitors can explore a variety of textiles, ceramics, jewelry, and carpets, all crafted with meticulous Turkish artistry. The bazaar’s quaint cafes also provide an opportunity to indulge in authentic Turkish cuisine. With its vibrant atmosphere and cultural significance, the Arasta Bazaar invites visitors to experience Istanbul’s timeless charm and craftsmanship.

You can watch and try making handmade carpets, one of the most important examples of Turkish handicrafts.

The Grand Bazaar is the perfect place for it. The Grand Bazaar is in fact a separate world within Istanbul. It is an active, crowded, inviting, and indispensable part of Istanbul. This bazaar attracts tourists from all over the world, and you can find not only glorious history but also antique dealers, jewelers, bag makers, leather shops, and carpet sellers –in short, everything imaginable.

Being the oldest and largest historical bazaar in the world, the Grand Bazaar was built on Sultan Fatih’s order to provide income for the Hagia Sophia. This historical bazaar is located between Nuruosmaniye and Beyazıt Mosques, Cevahir, and Sandal Bedestens. Bedesten means a bazaar in which valuable goods like clothes, jewelry, etc. are bought and sold. It has been a center for shopping ever since.

This famous bazaar is famous for its apothecaries and still sells traditional products such as natural remedies, spices, and flower seeds, as well as nuts, delicatessen items, and various food items. It is said that there was a market called Makro Envalos in the same place during the Byzantine period. The current building was built in 1660 by Turhan Sultan for the chief architect of the Sultanate, Kâzım Ağa.

Initially called the New Bazaar or Valide Bazaar, this building was allegedly built with taxes collected from Egypt and took its current name after the 18th century. The bazaar, which has survived two major fire hazards, was last restored by the Istanbul Municipality between 1940 and 1943. The L-shaped building next to the New Mosque has six doors. One of them is known as the Haseki Gate. The upper floor once housed a court and was used as a place where merchants could resolve their disputes.