Istanbul with its rich history, multicultural society, and its numerous attractions is the perfect place for a travel destination. In Istanbul, you have the opportunity to experience all kinds of recreation and experiences from traditional to modern. One of the most popular attractions and activities in Istanbul is shopping. Many people believe that Istanbul is the heaven of a shop lover.
Istanbul with its many shopping centers gives you the opportunity to your shopping experience to the next level! There are measureless shopping centers in Istanbul city that some of which are traditional shopping centers or bazaars.
One of the most known bazaars in Istanbul is Istanbul Spice Bazaar. As you probably figured out from the name, this shopping center is only for spices and all kinds of ingredients for cooking or making a drink. In this article, we are going to talk about the Spice Bazaar of Istanbul and tell you all about it.
A History and Introduction of Istanbul Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı)
Istanbul spice bazaar is a traditional shopping center in Istanbul city that dates back to 1660 during the reign of Ottoman empire. Istanbul spice bazaar was built next to Eminonu area of Istanbul city which was a waterfront area that was mostly commercial. Most of Turkey and Istanbul’s export and import business was taking place on this waterfront.
Now that you know about the importance of Eminonu waterfront in the economics of Ottoman empire at that time, add that to the fact of Istanbul Spice Bazaar’s closeness to it. Istanbul spice bazaar was one of the most strategic shopping centers in this city and nowadays it is considered a historical attraction of Istanbul.
Istanbul spice bazaar is also known as Mısır Çarşısı (Egyptian bazaar) and the reason is that it was built with the wealth that was brought to Istanbul from the Ottoman areas of Egypt.
What to buy from Istanbul Spice Bazaar?
Istanbul spice bazaar is the perfect place for those of you who fell in love with Turkish cuisine on your trip to this country and want to bring a piece of it back with you or just see the ingredients without being mixed together in a food or drink.
You can purchase herbs, spices, traditional Turkish snacks and desserts, nuts, etc. from Istanbul Spice Bazaar. A big part of Istanbul’s souvenirs are edible and organic ingredients and Istanbul spice bazaar is the best place to look for them.
Some popular products that you should look for them in Istanbul spice bazaar are: Sumac, Baklava, Turkish delight, Turkish coffee, olive oil, etc.
How to get to Istanbul Spice Bazaar?
Istanbul spice bazaar’s address: Rüstem Paşa, Erzak Ambarı Sok. No:92, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey.
Fortunately, Istanbul spice bazaar is accessible by tram which is one of the most popular public transportation in Istanbul. take the Tram 1 line and go to Eminonu station. There’s a small walk from the station to Istanbul spice bazaar. This is the easiest and cheapest way to get to Istanbul spice bazaar.
Istanbul spice bazaar is located in Fatih which is a historical district located on the European side of the city. This area of the city is very crowded most of the day and it is recommended that you take public transportation to go there so that the hubbub can’t bother you.
Nearby attractions to Istanbul Spice Bazaar?
Due to the perfect location of Istanbul spice bazaar and its closeness to some of Istanbul’s most famous attractions, you can easily save a fortune and time by planning to visit several attractions on the same day that you are planning to visit Istanbul spice bazaar.
Some of Istanbul’s attractions with close proximity to Istanbul spice bazaar are Istanbul grand bazaar, Galata bridge, and Topkapi Palace.
Facts you didn’t know about Istanbul Spice Bazaar
- The opening hours of Istanbul spice bazaar on Monday to Friday are 8 am to 7 pm. Istanbul spice bazaar on Saturdays is open from 8 am to 7:30 pm and the opening hours of this shopping center on Sundays are from 9:30 am to 7 pm.
- Architecture style of Istanbul spice bazaar is Ottoman architecture.
- Do not forget to bargain! Bargaining is an important part of shopping in traditional shopping centers in Istanbul.
- Istanbul spice bazaar is a covered market with more than 85 shops.
Final Words about Istanbul Spice Bazaar
Istanbul spice bazaar is full of tourists every day of the year. Most people believe that this traditional shopping center is more like an exhibition in which you can see Turkish cuisine’s ingredients and an Ottoman-style shopping center.
Istanbul spice bazaar is one of those kinds of attractions that you can hardly find a similar place to it in any other country or city. Make sure you visit this charming shopping center on your trip to Istanbul city to get a much closer look at Turkish cuisine and its ingredients.
