Grand Bazaar
Tours & Tickets for Grand Bazaar
Istanbul Old City Full-Day Guided Tour
Istanbul Old City Half-Day Guided Morning Tour
About Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar started as a small covered market in the 1450s, built shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul, and grew over the centuries into the sprawling maze it is today. It sits in the Beyazit quarter of the old city, in Fatih, and covers dozens of covered streets and thousands of shops under a series of vaulted, painted ceilings. Two of the oldest sections, the Cevahir Bedesten (the old jewelry hall) and the Sandal Bedesten, form the historic core, with the newer lanes fanning out around them. It is one of the oldest and largest covered markets anywhere, and it still works as a real trading place, not just a tourist stop.
The layout follows the old guild system, so shops of the same trade tend to cluster together. You will find whole streets given over to gold and jewelry, others to carpets and kilims, leather, ceramics, lamps, textiles, and spices. Getting lost is part of it, and the signposting at the main gates helps you find your way back out. Prices are generally not fixed in the smaller shops, so haggling is expected and normal, though the tone stays friendly. Cash and cards are both widely accepted, and many vendors handle multiple currencies. Keep an eye on your bags in the busier lanes, as with any crowded market.
The bazaar is closed on Sundays and on public holidays, and it runs on daytime hours through the rest of the week, so it is best treated as a morning or afternoon stop rather than an evening one. It sits within easy walking distance of the Beyazit-Kapalicarsi tram stop and is close to the Spice Bazaar and the mosques of the old city, which makes it simple to fold into a day around Sultanahmet. Entry to the bazaar itself is free; you only pay for what you buy. Allow at least an hour to wander, more if you plan to shop seriously or stop for tea and lunch at one of the small eateries tucked between the stalls.
