You smell the Spice Bazaar before you reach it. Built in 1664 to fund the New Mosque next door, it remains the place Istanbul buys saffron, sumac, dried fruit and tea, and the concentration of it in one vaulted hall is the whole experience.
Around eighty shops trade under the roof. Turkish delight comes in more varieties than anyone expects, the nut sellers will let you taste before buying, and most shops will pack things properly for a flight home.
Open eight to half past seven. It is small enough to walk end to end in twenty minutes, which makes it a good stop when you do not have a whole afternoon.
From Romance Istanbul Hotel it is around twelve minutes on foot.
Category:
Shopping