Shopping the Best in Turkey

Turkey is a veritable paradise for shopaholics. Right from classic Turkish items to the most luxurious global brands, you can empty your wallet here and still want to shop more.

If you have plans to visit Turkey in 2022, this article is a concise guide that will enumerate the best places to shop in Turkey and also describe the special items that are exclusive to this majestic country and that you must shop for if you’re visiting Turkey.

Also Read: Best Photography Locations in Turkey

What is Turkey Popular For

Shopping in Turkey is multi-faceted. Tourists like to call Turkey a shopping paradise due to several reasons, some of which are listed below.

• Historic Shopping Places and Markets

You’ll find several markets and shops that blend historic sightseeing and shopping and allow you to shop for some unique, traditional items. For instance, you should spend some time shopping at the Egyptian Spice Market and the Grand Bazaar if you want to experience what shopping with historic sightseeing looks like.

• Handicraft

Turkey is also quite famous for its craftwork and handicraft. If you’re in Istanbul, you’ll be able to find many such handcrafted products.

• Classic Turkish Food Products

Turkey is a perfect place for all food lunatics whose taste buds demand flavors from every corner of the world. One of the most famous food product souvenirs is Lokum (known as Turkish delight).

• World-Class Brands

There is no dearth of world-famous international brands that you can shop from. Besides global brands, you’ll also find some popular Turkish brands to gift a perfect present to yourself.

• Other Popular Items to Shop

Here are some other items that you can shop for in Turkey.

• Textile
• Ceramics
• Wooden backgammon boards
• Engraved metals
• Colorful slippers

Top 3 Popular Places in Turkey to Shop From

Get ready to dive into the most amazing shopping experience as here is the list of the top shopping places in Turkey that you must shop from while in the country.

• The Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar is a market that needs no introduction when it comes to shopping for traditional Turkish products. It can be described as the “medieval shopping mall” and is among the best places to visit in Turkey. The place is quite hard to resist and we too should spend a couple of hours in this colorful and be prepared to get lost.

This gigantic market consists of more than 4000 stores, divided under bedestens and caravanserais. Here is what you can shop from here.

• A vibrant variety of Turkish crafts
• Craftworks from entire Central Asia and the Middle East
• Outlandish carpets all the way from Turkish handlooms
• Plastic fridge magnets
• Gold jewelry
• Uzbekistan’s classic embroidered fabric
• Beautiful handwoven silk shawls
• Metalware

Also Read: 5 Must-Visit Cities in Turkey

• Egyptian Spice Market

The Egyptian Spice Market in Turkey dates back to the 17th century and was constructed using the taxes received from Egypt (which was ruled by Ottoman). This market allows you to take back home the exotic flavors of Turkey and enjoy the unforgettable tastes of the country.

The Egyptian Spice Market has more than 80 shops that trade dried fruits, spices, nuts, dried flowers, Turkish foods, herb teas, and local sweet items like Helva and Lokum. You can try making some Turkish dishes with spices like pul biber and sumac, Turkish honey, and pomegranate molasses.

• Arasta Bazaar

Sitting conveniently in the heart of the old city, Arasta Bazaar is located just behind Sultan Ahmet Mosque. In older times, the shops in this market used to be the property of the mosque and the traders had to pay taxes on it. But things have changed now. These shops now generate revenue mostly through tourism trade and are well-known for textiles and ceramics. And if you want to shop for some antiques but also want to avoid the crowd of the Grand Bazaar, Arasta Bazaar is genuinely the best alternative.

You can enjoy the following in Arasta Bazaar.

• Beautiful, handcrafted ceramics like hand-painted Iznik tiles
• Supreme quality textiles
• Turkish carpets
• Central Asian textiles and carpets

The best Turkish shopping places are not confined to these markets only. You can also visit other shopping arcades like Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir, Kadıköy Market, Balat, Istiklal Caddesi, and many more to shop the most out-of-the-world items.

How to Shop in Turkey

You need to apply for a Turkey E-Visa to shop for these items from the country. You can submit your visa application through E-Turkey Visa, which is an all-in-one Turkish visa services portal, designed to provide the best online Turkey visa services. We provide visas with a 100% success rate and complete accuracy. Sponsoring 500k+ Turkey visas, we are here to serve you the simplest visa process of your life.

In The End

Turkey is a great place to shop for some of the most exotic items that are hard to find in any part of the world. Get your Turkey tourist visa today and bring home some of the most amazing Turkish classics!

Apply Turkey Visa