Grand Bazaar blog — Explore Grand Bazaar Market Istanbul

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey is a huge market where you can buy almost anything you want. The market 12 gates, nearly 4000 shops and stalls, restaurants, cafes and service areas stretching across 61 streets. The Grand Bazaar located in the Fatih district between the Beyazit Mosque and the Nuruosmaniye. The market was first established in the early 1455 by the Ottoman Turks who occupied the city. There are many gates leading to the rows of shops and each gate has its own interesting name such as the Treasure Gate or the Purple Flower Vendor Gate. Visitors love the Bazaar market because it is a place where locals do business and you can get some good items at bargain prices. An estimated 250,000 visitors visit the Grand Bazaar each year. In addition to shopping, visitors also have the opportunity to admire historic architecture, marble fountains and kiosks dating back to the 17th century. Let’s check out our Grand Bazaar blog to explore one of the best markets in Turkey.

The construction of Grand Bazaar market was started by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1455 and was completed in 1461 like a maze with an area of 30,000 square meters. Here, along with ancient architecture, there are 66 covered streets and more than 3,000 stalls that sell leather, carpets, gift items… An extremely special thing in Grand Bazaar market is that only men can sell here.

The Grand Bazaar market has more than 3,000 stalls selling leather, carpets, gift items… and that wide diversity of goods explains why the market attracts more than 250,000 visitors daily.

You can spend hours in the instrument store in Grand Bazaar to admire the traditional instruments of Turkey.

Grand Bazaar market is where goods exchange took place during Ottoman Empire period and also located on the silk and spice route into Europe.

An extremely special thing is that only men can sell in the market.

Each year, Grand Bazaar market welcomes more than 91 million visitors and is the most-visited tourist attraction in the world.

Grand Bazaar is also divided into areas specializing in clothing, jewelry, leather, or food… all of them gather under the dome of the market.

Carpet is one of the things you have to buy when visiting Istanbul.

Grand Bazaar market construction in Istanbul was started by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1455 and was completed in 1461 like a maze with an area of 30,000 square meters.

Many websites have been established to promote the trading in this busy market and it is introduced as “one of the most interesting shopping experiences in the world”.

Always ready yourself to bargain, the items sold in Grand Bazaar covered market are usually at very high and unreasonable price. The experience is to pay 1/3 the price said in the market, sometimes 1/3 is still not enough, it should be 1/5 or even 1/10!

Opening times of the market are from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Mondays to Saturdays and closes on Sundays.

To get to Grand Bazaar gold market, you can take a taxi or use public transportation (Tramway T1 train with the “Beyazit” stop).

The Grand Bazaar market was chosen to be the opening scene of the James Bond 007 movie – “Skyfall”.

Further information

Address: Beyazıt Mh., 34126 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90 212 519 12 48
Hours: Opening times of the market are from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Mondays to Saturdays and closes on Sundays.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Istanbul you can refer to

• Istanbul Welcome Card
• Hagia Sophia Introduction Tour with Audio Guide
• Istanbul Classics Tour
• Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque Small Group Tour
• Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, & Basilica Cistern Combo Tour in Istanbul
• Istanbul Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tours (Open-Top)
• Hop-on Hop-off Bosphorus Sightseeing Cruise
• 4G SIM Card (MY Delivery) for Turkey from joytel2u
• Istanbul Museum Pass
• [Sale] Sea Life Aquarium Ticket in Istanbul
• Round Trip Ferry Tickets between Prince’s Islands and Istanbul
• Princes’ Island Full Day Tour from Istanbul
• Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise Tour

Are you looking for more top things to do in Istanbul: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out here. And Istanbul travel blog — The fullest Istanbul travel guide for a great budget trip for first-timers.