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Istanbul has been a shopper's town for, well, centuries—the sprawling Grand Bazaar, open since 1461, could easily be called the world's oldest shopping mall—but this is not to say that the city is stuck in the past. Along with its colorful bazaars and outdoor markets, Istanbul also has a wide range of modern shopping options, from the enormous new malls that seem to be sprouting up everywhere to small independent boutiques. Either way, it's almost impossible to leave Istanbul without buying something and some say you haven't truly experienced the city until you take a whirl through the Grand Bazaar or Spice Bazaar. Whether you're looking for trinkets and souvenirs, kilims and carpets, brass and silverware, jewelry, leather goods, old books, prints, and maps, or furnishings and clothes (Turkish textiles are among the best in the world), you can find them in this city. Shopping in Istanbul also provides a snapshot of the city's contrasts and contradictions: migrants from rural Turkey haggle with tourists and sell their wares on the streets while wealthy shoppers browse the designer goods found in plush, upscale Western-style department stores.
?stiklal Caddesi is a pedestrian-only boulevard with everything from global brands like Levi's and big-name Turkish companies like Mavi to small bookshops and old-school shoe stores—though, sadly, increasingly high rent prices mean there are fewer and fewer independent local stores located on ?stiklal these days. Down the hill from ?stiklal, Çukurcuma Caddesi is home to a miscellany of antiques dealers carrying everything from small, Ottoman-era knickknacks to enormous antique marble tubs. Meanwhile, the character-filled Galata and Karaköy neighborhoods are becoming the places to find independent boutiques and intriguing shops selling clothing, jewelry, housewares, and objets d’art created by up-and-coming local designers.
The high-fashion district is the upscale Ni?anta?? neighborhood, 1 km (½ mile) north of ?stiklal Caddesi. This is where you'll find the boutiques of established Turkish fashion designers, such as Özlem Süer, Arzu Kaprol, and At?l Kuto?lu, as well as the flagship stores of high-end international brands like Chanel, Prada, and Louis Vuitton—though because of high import taxes and unfavorable exchange rates, these labels are usually considerably more expensive in Turkey than they are in the United States.
Istanbul is also a good place to buy jewelry, as Turkey has a long tradition of jewelry making, and many jewelers are skilled at working with both gold and silver. While local brands often tend to copy European designs in their collections, recently there has been a trend towards creating beautiful pieces with a local flavor, using traditional motifs or taking Ottoman-era charms and setting them in silver or gold. The jewelry sold in the Grand Bazaar and in high-end boutiques in Ni?anta?? tends to be fairly classic and high quality; if you’re looking for something a bit more unusual or easier on the wallet, try the smaller-scale boutiques in Beyo?lu or Galata.
Longtime designer Gönül Paksoy is known for her elegant and stunning women's clothing that reinterprets Ottoman and tribal designs. Her museumlike store shows off beautiful pieces created with vintage textiles, as well as new garments handmade using all-natural fabrics and dyes. There is also a collection of more casual (and less pricey) items including jewelry, bags, shoes, and other accessories, all crafted in Paksoy's characteristic style.
Everything in this homey store near Taksim Square—handbags, necklaces, key chains, baby booties, sachets, cards, natural soaps, bath sets, coasters, ornaments, and more—is handcrafted by women from across Turkey. The NGO that runs the shop, which also has a selection of vintage clothing for sale in the back, helps women in underdeveloped communities find a sustainable source of income through their handiwork. Profits support centers for women and children around the country.
One of Istanbul's most highly regarded antiques stores is filled with a fascinating collection of metalwork, original İznik and Kütahya ceramics, old maps and prints, calligraphy and miniatures, textiles, vintage jewelry, artwork, and assorted other treasures.
One of Turkey's oldest and most elegant fashion houses, Vakko carries its own lines as well as clothing, shoes, and accessories from high-end international labels at its flagship department store in Nişantaşı. The company is particularly well-known for its collection of silk scarves and ties in a variety of traditional and modern designs. It also sells its own signature chocolates. A spin-off "concept store" next door, V2K Designers ( Abdi İpekçi Cad. 31), sells hip men's and women's apparel by international names.
Globe-trotting pair Zeynep and Emre Rende have devoted their design and photography talents to creating home accessories, gifts, furniture, and images “inspired by the world, created in Istanbul.” West African fabrics adorn lamps, pillows are made by local Turkish craftspeople, and Emre’s global portraits feature in framed prints and on iPhone cases.
One of Istanbul's most reputable carpet dealers espouses a "hassle-free shopping" policy and is favored by the diplomatic community. The company and its friendly staff offer a large selection of antique, semi-antique, and new carpets and kilims, mainly from Anatolia.
Styled more like a grand private mansion than a store, Alaturca has four floors that house a carefully selected—and very high-end—collection of antiques, including artwork, ceramics, metalwork, and Ottoman calligraphy. Just a small fraction of proprietor Erkal Aksoy's extensive collection of antique carpets and kilims is on display here.
Just behind the Blue Mosque, the Arasta Bazaar is a walkway lined with shops selling items similar to those you'll find at the Grand Bazaar (primarily carpets, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and other handicrafts), at sometimes lower prices. The atmosphere is also considerably calmer, and, unlike the Grand Bazaar, the Arasta is open on Sunday and stays open later (until about 9 pm).
Artrium has a range of antique items, including a fascinating collection of old prints and paintings, as well as some interesting ceramics, jewelry, and other handicrafts and gift items.
Istanbul's version of Bloomingdale's, Beymen has suited doormen and sells expensive, up-to-date fashions from well-known international brands and designers in its multistory flagship department store. The two underground levels house
Design brand Dhoku stands out among the traditional carpet merchants of the Grand Bazaar for its radically different, contemporary styles, which include bold geometric designs and stylized floral patterns. The high-quality rugs are handmade near İzmir using organic handspun wool and natural dyes. Directly across the street is sister company Ethnicon ( Takkeciler Cad. 49–51), which pieces together different-sized squares of colorful rug material to create carpets reminiscent of American-style quilts. Both stores offer fixed prices; at Dhoku, pricing is by the square meter.
Established in 1918 and now run by the fourth generation of the Şengör family, this experienced and trustworthy dealer has a large inventory of carpets from different regions of Anatolia.
The Grand Bazaar is a neighborhood unto itself and a trove of all things Turkish—carpets, brass, copper, jewelry, textiles, and leather products. Many of the stores have resorted to selling cheap goods aimed at the tourist market, but the bazaar still holds many treasures.
With two shops in the Grand Bazaar, İgüs offers one of the widest selections of scarves and pashminas found anywhere in Turkey, along with reasonable prices.
Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir founded his sweets business back in 1777 and is considered the inventor of Turkish delight. Today, the Hacı Bekir stores run by his descendants are still among the best places to buy the delicacy, which comes in a variety of different types—including such uncommon flavors as pomegranate with pistachios—and is sold fresh by the kilo or prepackaged. The original location is in Eminönü, on a backstreet just east of the Yeni Cami, and there is also a branch on İstiklal Caddesi.
In the back wing of the Spice Bazaar, Hayfene (previously known as Ucuzcular Baharat) not only has great prices, but it's also just about the friendliest and most hassle-free shop in the bazaar. It's run by the energetic Bilge Kadıoğlu, a U.S.–educated, fifth-generation spice purveyor who is the bazaar's first (and still only) female shop owner. Kadıoğlu prides herself on the shop's extremely fresh spices and specially prepared mixes—which she is happy to have you taste—as well as pure, alcohol-free essential oils and a variety of Turkish sweets.
Walking into this shop feels like walking into a sleek apothecary, with wooden shelves lined with bottles and porcelain. The fragrant essential oils, soaps, creams, and more sold here are made by hand, using all-natural ingredients and a mortar and pestle. There are two other branches in Kuzguncuk and Kanyon Mall.
One of Istanbul's best bookstores carries an impeccable selection of English-language books, especially ones dealing with the politics and history of Turkey and the Middle East.
If you are looking for handwoven pestamels (thin, flat-woven towels), blankets, bedspreads, curtains, or upholstery material, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better source than this inviting shop in the Arasta Bazaar behind the Blue Mosque. There's a larger showroom nearby ( Ogul Sok. No: 20).
On a backstreet just outside the western entrance of the Spice Market is the tiny flagship store of Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, Turkey's oldest coffee producer (founded in 1871), whose finely ground coffee—which can be seen being ground on the premises—is legendary. You can buy whole-bean or ground coffee, which makes a good souvenir of a trip to Turkey.
Turkey's homegrown jeans company, Mavi (which means "blue" in Turkish), has come a long way since its founding in 1991, with stores now in dozens of countries. The flagship Istanbul store near the top of İstiklal Caddesi (there are two other, smaller, branches farther down the avenue) carries the brand's signature jeans and casual wear, as well as a collection of hip Istanbul-themed T-shirts created by different guest designers.
This shop specializes in game boards and boxes, including a collection of one-of-a-kind backgammon boards. From wooden hand-carved boards from Armenia to ornate mother-of-pearl inlaid options from Turkey, Syria, Egypt, and Iran, there are options for a range of price points and styles.
You can find carved meerschaum pipes in many shops in the Grand Bazaar, as well as in many antique shops, but the collection here is extensive. The shop, founded by Bilal Donmez, is now run by his son, Bulent Donmez, and has a very helpful staff and reliably good wares, including other high-quality handicrafts.
On a side street off İstiklal Caddesi, Mor displays the work of a brother-and-sister team who incorporate antique and ethnic elements into their bold, modern jewelry designs. The chunky pieces, mostly made using bronze and stones, are affordably priced.
One of the most unusual stores in the Grand Bazaar—indeed, anywhere—is Nick Merdenyan's tiny shop. The artist produces intricate calligraphic works and miniature paintings incorporating motifs and themes from major world religions, as well as universal nonreligious messages. Each small masterpiece is done on dried Dieffenbachia leaves, which he calls "Nick's missionary leaves of tolerance and peace."
Go past the first floor of ceramics and souvenirs to reach the real gems in this shop: Hamza’s collection of carpets and kilims. He gathers and sells beautiful specimens from all over Anatolia and central Asia, with many from as far east as Afghanistan.
One of the major streets leading to the Grand Bazaar, Nuruosmaniye Caddesi has a pedestrian boulevard section lined with some of the Old City's most stylish (and high-end) shops, with an emphasis on fine carpets, jewelry, and antiques.
This is more of an atelier and private showroom than a conventional store, but it's worth stopping in to check out designer Özlem Tuna's delightful collections of jewelry and delicate ceramic and metal tableware that put a contemporary twist on traditional Turkish designs and motifs.
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