Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsisi)
- Address: Kalpakçılar Caddesi, Istanbul
- Hours: Open Mon - Sat 9am - 7pm
- Admission: Free
ATTRACTION Keywords:
Good Place to Drink,
Good Place to Eat,
Good Place to Shop,
Bazaar,
Market,
Neighborhood
The Grand Bazaar, or Kapali Carsisi, is the mother of all markets, a treasure trove of gifts, souvenirs, essentials and fripperies. Heading into the cavernous bazaar from the daylight, it takes a minute for your eyes to adjust to this Arabian Nights visual feast of glimmering Turkish lights, brightly colored rugs and flickering candles.
Crammed into more than 60 domed alleys or streets, around 5,000 stallholders hold court in the labyrinthine covered market, parts of which date back to Byzantine days.
Calligraphy, carpets, beaded bracelets, gold and silver jewelry, curly-toed slippers, multicolored lanterns, flower-bedecked ceramics and belly-dancing outfits are just the tip of the iceberg in this shoppers’ cornucopia.
Latest Reviews
Review by Matthew H, May 2013
Doing what: Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour: Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar
Our tour guide was very knowledgable and informative. The tour itself is pretty full on, but well worth it as you get some excellent insight into Istanbul. Highly recommend it! :)
Review by Vee, May 2013
Doing what: Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour: Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar
Super tour and introduction to the most famous sites in Istanbul, plus the guide and driver were helpful and adaptable in maneuvering around some of Istanbul's worst traffic. The tour group in the van was diverse in countries represented and a good time was had by all through the day and over the delicious Turkish meal at lunch time. The guide gave us options throughout the day so that people could go through some sites with him, have some time on their own, and meet together to journey to the next destination.
Review by Fauzi Adnan, May 2013
Doing what: Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour: Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar
Our guide was fantastic. He can be considered a walking historian. The best thing is we skip the line when we visited the underground cistern ( or else we had to wait at least 1 hour due to the queque). Enough time to venture at all places and most importantly, they were punctual when they pick us up at the hotel.
Practical Info
The Grand Bazaar is a few streets back from the waterfront in Sultanahmet. It's best reached from Divan Yolu, Sultanahmet's main thoroughfare.
