Istanbul Attractions

Venue: Grand Bazaar    When: Daily

Mehmet II, the first Sultan of the Ottoman empire, was responsible for the construction of Istanbul's incredible covered bazaar, the largest the world had ever known. This maze of crowded and winding alleys, each one the province of a particular trade, has been a trading centre for more than 500 years.

With more than 4000 shops to discover, wandering about this labyrinthine market will keep you busy for hours. There are the touts, of course, and because of its tourist status a good bargain requires some hard talking, but the range of what you can buy is staggering.

Hundreds of Turkish carpets, many of them antique (though beware because you can't take antique carpets out of the country) flood the alleyways, as well as copperware, jewellery, leather goods, furniture, hand-painted ceramics, brassware and contents too varied to describe. No visit to Istanbul is complete without experiencing this fantastic shoppers' emporium.