Istanbul is ready for shopping! Istanbul, one of the most dynamic cities in the world, will become the global capital of shopping and entertainment during the Istanbul Shopping Fest which runs from March 18 to April 26, 2011. Actually this beautiful city has been a heaven for shoppers since Roman period. It houses the largest and oldest covered bazaar of the world where you can purchase any sorts of goods from jewelry to handmade carpets, antiquities, glass wares, colorful ceramics, silk products and leather fabrics. It attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 people daily. It will be great experience for the travellers to stroll through the colorful streets of Grand Bazaar and shop in a traditional and oriental style shopping venue. You can visit the bazaar between 9AM to 7PM and closed on Sundays.

If you are a foodie, you should exactly visit the Spice Bazaar to enjoy all different tastes of the Turkish delight (it is a sweet made of starch and honey and flavoured with nuts, rose, lemon etc), dried fruits, nuts, Turkish coffee and baklava (traditional Turkish desert).

If you would like to do your shopping in modern shopping malls you should be in Istanbul during this festival! It will be one of the most colorful festival of the last years as there will be different activities such as fashion shows in the shopping malls, concerts, shows for kids, parties, competitions and street festivals on the most lively streets of Istanbul like Istiklal, Nisantasi and Bagdat Streets. Stores in the city's shopping centres and these famous districts of Istanbul will become a shopping paradise for brand-conscious tourists. Visitors will catch the chance of enjoying the sprit of Istanbul as well as doing shopping in the stores of famous brands with substantial discounts. Ninety modern shopping mall are taking part in the event, offereing hundreds of brand names of both Turkish and international in the city's Taksim, Nisantasi, Sisli, Bakirkoy, Fatih and Bahariye districts. And many of the Shopping malls will be open till late night.

The giant festival which runs until April 26 ,will reinforce once again Istanbul's reputation as the city that never sleeps as it becomes the world shopping centre for 40 straight days.