Shopping in Turkey

It is impossible to think of a holiday without the thrill of shopping. Shopping in Turkey is irresistible for the wide range of unique and beautiful crafts available there. Once you see the variety of products with this "very different" and unique Turkish style, you will want to take some home to share with your friends and family. In this article, we will give information and tips on shopping in Turkey.

Shopping in Turkey is both entertaining and satisfying. You gain in terms of experience along with possessing some of the most prized items in the world. Therefore, go prepared for big spends when you visit Turkey.

Shopping in Istanbul

Old, new, exotic, mundane, antique, kitsch— shopping in Istanbul is all these things and more.

Everyone knows about the Grand Bazaar with its 4000 shops, but in fact the entire area around it is shopping, shopping, shopping for blocks and blocks. 4000 shops is a mere fraction of the whole picture.

For example, Nuruosmaniye Caddesi, east of the bazaar, is lined with jewelry stores, and fine art boutiques hide in the little side streets off it.

there's also the Egyptian (Spice) Market, the boutiques and shops of Beyoglu, the trendy shops of Nisantasi, and numerous modern shopping complexes here and there around the city.

Want a personal shopper to take you through Istanbul's shopping labyrinth? That would be Ms Marilyn Hill-Henderson, the Screaming Shopper. More...

Istanbul has numerous good English-language bookshops where you can buy, among other titles, my humorous travel memoir Turkey: Bright Sun, Strong Tea.

Brush up on your bargaining skills before you set out on your shopping spree.

Here's the rundown on what to buy in Istanbul.

For details on what to buy and where, pick up a copy of Ron and Caryl Krannich's The Treasures and Pleasures of Turkey: Best of the Best in Travel and Shopping.