Sahaflar Carsisi is a courtyard of booksellers wedged between the Grand Bazaar and Beyazit Square. It is small — a dozen stalls around a shaded square — and it is one of the oldest continuously trading spots in the city.
What people take home from here tends to be paper rather than souvenirs: reproductions of Ottoman miniatures, old maps of Constantinople, calligraphy panels, secondhand editions with worn cloth bindings. Prices are modest and nobody pushes a sale.
It works well as a pause. After an hour in the Grand Bazaar the quiet here is noticeable, and there is a tea house at the Beyazit end. From Romance Istanbul Hotel the walk takes around twelve minutes.
Category:
Shopping