Istanbul
Travel article for Istanbul
Age:
19-25
Travel time:
in October 09
The Bazaar Experience of Hawkers and Haggling
The bazaar experience is not for everyone. For some the rigmarole of nailing down the price on those turkish slippers or that leather bag is just tiresome. For others, it's all part of the romance of
travelling. HolidayCheck, one of Europe's major independent online travel platforms, is happy to guide you through the pitfalls of the bazaar experience with a few handy tips.
Countries like Eygpt and Turkey depend heavily on the summer influx of European visitors. Most local traders in the resorts here count on tourists forking out for souvenirs for their very livelihood.
This need creates a situation in which a planned excursion to the local market can quickly become a case of running a gauntlet of mouthy hawkers. Many holidaymakers complain that they are literally pulled into stores or upto stalls and then pressed into buying overpriced tat.
Overly keen shopkeepers have even been known to propose marriage to female tourists upon their buying a bottle of water. Carpet salesmen in factory warehouses have even resorted to still more in-your-face skullduggery. Brigitte for example, having breezed innocently into such an establishment found the efforts of the shop assistants to prolong her visit more than a little disconcerting as they proceeded to drape carpets over the all the doors:'it's quite a thing when you visit a carpet factory and all the doors vanish'. Tip: an effective deterrent to this unwanted attention ist to carry a folded up newspaper under your arm!
Of course there are those whose main motivation for visiting a country like Turkey is to take advantage of the bargain prices in the bazaars. Many enjoy the lively atmosphere of the market and look forward to a spot of people watching while taking a sip of flavoursome apple tea. For these bazaar fans Istanbul is a city with much to offer. Here are three great places to look up.
Istanbul Bazaars
Grand Bazaar. A ginormous covered market. Its boasts an incredible 30,000 shops, innumerable cafes and restaurants and is one of the city's premier attractions. In the high season nearly 400,000 people visit each day. Bring your haggling hat!
Egyptian Bazaar. Located in the Eminonu district this is a traditional spice market that's broadened its range to include such delicacies as teas, oils, dried fruits and honeycombs.
Arasta Bazaar. By way of contrast this market has a small-scale, intimate atmosphere. The market stalls have been replaced by covered shops but the wares on offer still encompass traditional craft items.
Countries like Eygpt and Turkey depend heavily on the summer influx of European visitors. Most local traders in the resorts here count on tourists forking out for souvenirs for their very livelihood.
This need creates a situation in which a planned excursion to the local market can quickly become a case of running a gauntlet of mouthy hawkers. Many holidaymakers complain that they are literally pulled into stores or upto stalls and then pressed into buying overpriced tat.
Overly keen shopkeepers have even been known to propose marriage to female tourists upon their buying a bottle of water. Carpet salesmen in factory warehouses have even resorted to still more in-your-face skullduggery. Brigitte for example, having breezed innocently into such an establishment found the efforts of the shop assistants to prolong her visit more than a little disconcerting as they proceeded to drape carpets over the all the doors:'it's quite a thing when you visit a carpet factory and all the doors vanish'. Tip: an effective deterrent to this unwanted attention ist to carry a folded up newspaper under your arm!
Of course there are those whose main motivation for visiting a country like Turkey is to take advantage of the bargain prices in the bazaars. Many enjoy the lively atmosphere of the market and look forward to a spot of people watching while taking a sip of flavoursome apple tea. For these bazaar fans Istanbul is a city with much to offer. Here are three great places to look up.
Istanbul Bazaars
Grand Bazaar. A ginormous covered market. Its boasts an incredible 30,000 shops, innumerable cafes and restaurants and is one of the city's premier attractions. In the high season nearly 400,000 people visit each day. Bring your haggling hat!
Egyptian Bazaar. Located in the Eminonu district this is a traditional spice market that's broadened its range to include such delicacies as teas, oils, dried fruits and honeycombs.
Arasta Bazaar. By way of contrast this market has a small-scale, intimate atmosphere. The market stalls have been replaced by covered shops but the wares on offer still encompass traditional craft items.
