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Shopping
 One
could visit Эstanbul for the shopping alone. The Kapali
Зarsi, or Covered Bazaar, in the old city is the logical
place to start. This labyrinth of streets and passages houses
more than 4,000 shops. The names recall the days when each
trade had its own quarter: Goldsmiths' street, Carpet sellers'
street, Skullcap makers. Still the commercial center of
the old city, the bazaar is the original shopping mall with
something to suit every taste and pocket.
Turkish crafts, the world-renowned carpets, brilliant handpainted
ceramics, copper, brassware, and meerschaum pipes make charming
souvenirs and gifts. The gold jewelry in brilliantly lit
cases blinds passersby. Leather and suede goods of excellent
quality make a relatively inexpensive purchase. The Old
Bedesten, in the heart of the bazaar, offers a curious assortment
of antiques. It is worth poking through the clutter of decades
in the hope of finding a treasure.
 The
Misir Зarsisi or Spice Bazaar, next to Yeni Mosque in Eminцnь,
transports you to fantasies of the mystical East. The enticing
aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every
other conceivable herb and spice fill the air. Sultanahmet
has become another shopping mecca in the old city. The Эstanbul
Sanatlari Зarsisi (Bazaar of Эstanbul Arts) in the l8th
century Mehmet Efendi Medresesi, and the nearby l6th century
Caferaga Medrese, built by Sinan, offer a chance to see
craftsmen at work and to purchase their wares. In the Arasta
(old bazaar) of the Sultanahmet Mosque, a thriving shopping
arcade makes shopping and sightseeing very convenient.
The sophisticated shops of the Taksim-Nisantasi-Sisli districts
contrast with the chaos of the bazaars. On Istiklal Avenue,
Cumhuriyet Avenue and Rumeli Avenue, you can browse peacefully
in the most fashionable shops that sell elegant fashions
made from Turkey's high quality textiles. Exquisite jewelry
as well as finely designed handbags and shoes can also be
found. The Atakцy Galleria Mall in Atakцy and
Akmerkez Mall in Etiler have branches of Эstanbul's most
elegant shops. Bahariye Avenue, Bagdat Avenue, and Capitol
Mall on the Asian side, offer the same goods.
In Эstanbul's busy flea markets you can find an astonishing
assortment of goods, both old and new. Everyday offers a
new opportunity to poke about the Sahaflar Зarsisi
and Зinaralti in the Beyazit district. On Sundays,
in a flea market between the Sahaflar and the Covered Bazaar,
vendors uncover their wares on carts and blankets. The Horhor
Зarsisi is a collection of shops that sell furniture
of varying age and quality. The flea market in the Topkapi
district, on Зukurcuma Sokak in Cihangir, on Bьyьk
Hamam Sokak in Ьskьdar, in the Kadikцy Зarsi
Duragi area, and between Eminцnь and Tahtakale,
are open daily. After a Sunday drive up the Bosphorus, stop
between Bьyьkdere and Sariyer to wander through
another lively market.
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