Istanbul: The Grand Bazaar
It turns out that whoever named the Grand Bazaar was not kidding about its size! The Grand Bazaar was our last stop in Istanbul's neighborhood of Sultanahmet. In the 15th century, Sultan Mehmet II ordered construction on the Grand Bazaar in an effort to establish Constantinople as the primary center of trade in the height of the Ottoman Empire. In the wake of a massive earthquake post completion, the Grand Bazaar had to be renovated in the late 1800s.
Currently, the Grand Bazaar covers 30,700 square meters of the city, easily making it the largest market on the globe. It is said that a quarter of a million people visit the Grand Bazaar. Every. Single. Day.
The 4,000 shops of the bazaar offer a vast array of products, including jewelry, lighting, paintings, Turkish delight, carpeting, silk, glassware, and ceramics. The maze of the Grand Bazaar provides plenty of opportunities for haggling for just about any product you might want. I could comfortably pitch a tent in the Grand Bazaar and never lack anything I desire! My friends and I made the tiniest loop in the Grand Bazaar and somehow left with far more than we anticipated. As a city girl, the crowded, competitive, and bustling booths we weaved in and out of were so fun.
As one of the most visited places in the entire world, I may sound like a broken record encouraging you to visit the Grand Bazaar. My only piece of advice would be to remember that you do have to lug all your goodies on the crowded metro and potentially hike up a ridiculously steep street to your hotel. So be sure to wear comfortable shoes, bring a big backpack, and pace yourself! You will not regret visiting the Grand Bazaar. It is a shopaholic’s dream and a sure-fire way to blow your vacation savings!
To our friends in the West, keep looking East!
Becca Conner
Becca spent her childhood between Virginia and California, before settling down in Huntsville, Alabama. She attends school in Louisville, Kentucky, where she is pursuing a degree in Global Studies. Becca loves learning about different cultures, and spending time with people from all different backgrounds. She can frequently be found watching Gilmore Girls, eating granola bars or apples and peanut butter, or on a hike with her little brother/best friend, Charlie. She is obsessed with musical theater, particularly Newsies, and has been known to burst into song at completely random times. Becca is as adaptable as they come, spending four months living in Guatemala before she was even 18. She is always down for a new adventure, whether it involves exploring a new place or meeting new people.