5 famous markets in Istanbul

Istanbul is the perfect place to buy everything, to suit every pocket and style. There, the city is famous for its fairgrounds and historic markets. The Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) is without a doubt the most popular tourist destination for shopping in Istanbul. What's more, the nearby Egyptian market (Misir Carsisi), where a variety of spices can be found, or the Cukurcuma market in Beyoglu's neighborhood is famous for its antiques. In the framework of this article, we want to mention 5 famous markets in Istanbul.

Fatih Market - Since the Fatih district is located in the historic area of Istanbul, it is the oldest and largest market in the city. Locals mostly call it Çarşamba Pazarı, because Çarşamba (Wednesday) is the market day. It is open from 5am to 9pm. About 1290 vendors, 4800 stalls and about 2500 street vendors make up this market on the 7 main historic streets and 17 smaller historic streets of Fatih. It goes without saying that Fatih pazarı is a posh market where you can find almost anything, from fruits, vegetables and clothes, to all sorts of household materials. Another bonus for tourists is that it offers a great opportunity to experience the real life of the local middle class.

Assuming you're in Beyoğlu or Sultanahmet, you can take a taxi to get there. The market is spread across the streets behind the Fatih mosque.

Yeşilköy Market - Another highly respected Wednesday market located in Yeşilköy (literally translated as 'green village'). The area is known for its relatively greener and more luxurious setting. You can find a wide range of high-quality products at this organized market. Yeşilköy pazarı covers an area of 12,000 square meters with 2000 stalls, flower display areas, scattered tea cafes and restrooms. Most stalls accept credit cards, but prices can be a bit higher than in other markets.

To get to this market, you can take bus 72T from Taksim or bus 81 from Eminönü, and get off at Park station. Alternatively, you can take the train from Sirkeci station, get off at Yeşilköy stop and catch the free bus to the market.

Beşiktaş Market - Saturday Market is smaller in scale with 'only' 400 stalls. Beşiktaş pazarı still offers most of the products that you will find elsewhere, such as shoes, bags, unusual jewelry and home textiles. However, the focus is definitely on the clothes. The market starts up at dawn and stays open until dusk.

You can take bus 43 from Taksim and get off at Ihlamur station. However, the fastest and most convenient way to get here is by taxi. Ask the driver to go to Beşiktaş Pazarı or Ihlamur Kasrı (Ihlamur Palace), which is a famous landmark near the market, and then take a leisurely walk into the market.

Ulus Market - Ulus pazarı is called sosyete pazarı, or social market. Simply because of the variety on display of fake and real brand products. However, it was closed in 2005 because of the disturbances it caused to the surrounding area. After a long period of closure, sosyete pazarı has returned to a fortified area opposite the old one. Because of this, these days are no longer in Ulus but in Ortaköy. But yes, it still has good stuff like Gap, Adidas, Fred Perry t-shirts, Abercrombie sweatshirts, pants and shirts, Burberry boots, Ralph Lauren t-shirts and not to be missed Louis Vuitton bags. You can also find real leather and fur coats and coats as well as makeup products and more. Open on Thursdays from 8am to 7:30pm.

The market is located right in the Ortaköy Dereboyu Caddesi area, up the hill directly across from the very famous Ortaköy Mosque. The market is located on Çayır Sokak, near Ortaköy Cemetery. You can take a taxi from Ortaköy or you can get to Ortaköy from Taksim by bus 40 or 40T, and get off at Ortaköy station

Kadıköy - Another traditional market held on Tuesdays and Fridays in Kadıköy, the Asian side of Istanbul. It all started quite modestly in 1969. However, as time went on, along with the city, this market expanded. As a result, Kadıköy pazarı is increasingly becoming the seat of a busy city life with traffic congested during market days. So, in December 2008, it moved from its traditional location in Altıyol to a modern 40,000 square meter area, with no less than 4,000 stalls and a car park in Fikirtepe. This market is famous for its large number of female customers as well as female stall owners.

Take bus 110 from Taksim, where Kadıköy is the final destination. A more interesting way is to take the city ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy to Kadıköy. From there, you can catch a taxi or take the M4 metro to Göztepe station.

Note: due to construction work, the market is currently in Göztepe, easily accessible by metro line M4 and get off at Göztepe stop.