Sights at the Bazaar

On my recent visit to Turkey, I ended my trip with a visit to Istanbul. I was flying out of Istanbul, so I talked my friends into going with me a few days early to hang out in Istanbul. When you go to Istanbul, it is essential that you visit the markets. We started with the smaller market, the Egyptian Market, or more commonly known as the Spice Market. It is much smaller than the Grand Bazaar, and is known obviously for its spices and Turkish delight. 

The sellers all are yelling, inviting you to their stores, wanting you to look at their goods and try their sweets. My favorite is when they say "let me spend your money for you!" I love just looking at all the beautiful colors as you walk down the aisles.

Bargaining is essential in Turkey, though I find for me, bargaining in Turkey is not as stressful as it is in Morocco. The key to good bargaining is being able to walk away. I didn't buy much at the Grand Bazaar because I know that the prices in Istanbul are inflated. I did buy a few things that I knew they only have in Istanbul. There are three prices in Turkey, the foreigner price, the Turkish price, and the friend price. Speaking in Turkish usually gets me closer to the Turkish price.

I often base who I buy from on the friendly of the store owner. Little old men get my business more often because they tend not to be as aggressive or forward as the younger men. I had lots of fun using my Turkish, which I was amazed how much I could recall. The Grand Bazaar is a shopper's paradise!

Beth gets to cut a piece of lokum,
Turkish Delight.