Monday – August 23
It was Roseanne’s last morning in Istanbul. After breakfast, we went out to do a little last minute shopping in the neighborhood. Sultanahmet and this part of Istanbul was familiar to me now. I could get around (almost) like a native. It was a good feeling!
Neighborhood Shop Near the White House Hotel
Since Istanbul has been a major international market place for thousands of years, one could still buy or sell anything here today. Selling and trading are second nature to the Turkish people.
A Lamp Store
Roseanne’s taxi came and we sadly said our goodbyes. It had been a wonderful cousins’ adventure. Lucky me, my adventure continues! Jeff wanted to visit the famous Grand Bazaar!
One Street Inside the Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar is a huge building located on the top of a hill. I’m sure a bazaar or marketplace has been there for thousands of years. The building was built only a few hundred years ago, but originally the bazaar must have been a congregation of tents. I can imagine the horses and camels and people traveling along the Silk Road to this European port to trade with the people from the west.
Evil Eyes For Sale
The Europeans sailed east to Constantinople, or ancient Byzantium, across the Mediterranean Sea to trade for goods from China and India.
Turkish Coffee Pots and Aladdin’s Lamps
Besides being a great place to shop, the Grand Bazaar is also a wonderful place to take photographs. There are interesting looking people from all over the world and lots of photogenic “stuff”. The more aggressive salesmen try to entice shoppers into their stores, but most of them are easily discouraged with a negative shake of the head and a serious expression.
Swords, Pipes, Jewelry, and Amber Worry Beads
As we were browsing the narrow passageways and looking for interesting objects to photograph, I noticed a silver bowl engraved with Armenian writing. I entered the tiny six by six foot shop to ask the price. The handsome young man began to tell me the history of the bowls as he unearthed several more. He had other Armenian artifacts to sell and I finally noticed that the name on his business card was an Armenian name.
The Jewelry Section
I told him about our cousins trip to Eastern Turkey. He told me that his Armenian grandmother was born in 1915 and was from Sivas. Her parents brought her to Istanbul where she has lived all her life. He said that his father knows the family history and gave me his father’s business card and invited me to contact him. Some clients stood in the doorway so I said my goodbyes and happily left.
Bargaining in the Bazaar
Then we walked through the clothing and carpet section of the bazaar and I found my way to the other Armenian dealer I knew. I thought I could give him some business, but he was engaged with several tourists and we couldn’t wait. My cousins and I had met the Armenian man and his brother and their families on the boat trip up the Bosporus River a few weeks ago. The Istanbul dealer’s brother and family live in Marseille!
Cafe Serving Chai and Baklava
We were getting a little tired so we decided to stop at a small cafe in the bazaar for a refreshing cup of “chai”. Afterwards, we went through the sections selling fabric, clothing, Muslim hats, jeans, and tourist t-shirts. Then we stumbled upon an enclosed courtyard.
Shaded Courtyard Within the Grand Bazaar
Tables were set up for snacks and meals. People were enjoying a snack and the fresh air. There were also public toilets labeled “bey” and “beyan” – men and women. Several tourist shops lined the courtyard. We finally found an exit and walked out into the teaming streets of Istanbul.
Red Dresses for Sale
The market continues outside the Grand Bazaar building. Every little street and passage and alleyway is full of shops selling something. One area has bedding, another has buttons and notions, another sells Muslim women’s head-scarves and another street has children’s clothes. The Grand Bazaar is full of tourists and the streets outside are full of locals.
Down to the Spice Bazaar
We walked down the hill in the other direction toward the Spice Bazaar. It was a brilliant day and we could get a peek of the sea from the hilltop.
Women’s Scarves
I wondered if there were directories of the neighborhoods where different types of goods which were sold. I imagined that the local people had to learn where to go to buy particular items.
The Fragrant Spice Bazaar
The Spice Bazaar is a smaller indoor market with many booths similar to the Grand Bazaar except that spices, dried fruits, candies, and herbs are sold at the Spice Bazaar.
Medicinal Herbs For Sale
The Spice Bazaar is located near the Golden Horn by the water, on the Sultanahmet side of the Galata Bridge.
Varieties of Chai/Tea and Spices
I am sure that every spice on earth must be available at the bazaar and the interior of the building has a wonderful strong aroma. The Spice Bazaar was always crowded with people buying spices.
A Bazaar Character
We walked through the bazaar and looked at the stalls of fragrant herbs. Both the Spice and the Grand Bazaars are so much fun to see and experience. There is nothing like them in the United States.
Dried Fruits, Lokhoom, and Chai Caddies
We left the Spice Bazaar through the main entrance near the shore of the Golden Horn. We left a crowd of people in the bazaar and walked out into more crowds of people. The “New” Mosque (Yeni Camil) was completed in 1663 and is the large landmark near the Spice Bazaar.
The New Mosque
Some men were preparing the mosque for the evening’s services. We passed by the “Pet Market” and walked toward the tram station.
Bottled Water and Leeches For Sale
There were a lot of people outside the New Mosque and the Spice Bazaar. Several enterprising people were selling leeches, which I assume people purchase for medicinal purposes. The black leeches were in large bottles half full of water and were climbing up the sides of the bottles.
Selling Turkish “C-Star” Flags
Several men walked around selling bright red Turkish flags of all sizes. There were half a dozen people sitting under small bright red canopies selling seeds to feed the flocks of pigeons on the steps of the mosque.
The Celebrating Family
At the front of the mosque, there was a family strolling by with two sons who were wearing the gold and white costumes that I saw for sale in shop windows. The boys wore white shoes, shirts, and pants. Over that were fur-trimmed capes which were elaborately embroidered with gold thread. On their heads, the boys wore gold and white hats with feather trim. I do not know what the costumes are called but they celebrate the boys’ circumcisions. Apparently, Muslim people do not circumcise boys when they are babies. The proud parents were showing off their sons.
We boarded the tram which took us back to Sultanahmet and the White House Hotel. It had been a full and interesting day. Istanbul is an amazing city! :-)