The Grand Bazaar has been around since the 1400s and is one of the oldest and largest covered…read moremarkets in the world. It is worth a look just for the experience. There are several gates to enter and it is easy to get lost if you are not paying attention. You will find all kinds of stores here: clothing, jewelry, shoes, souvenirs, teas, spices, carpets and more. In terms of actual shopping though, you can find cheaper prices outside. Because their rent is higher and because they know they can ripoff many tourists, the prices here are inflated even after bartering.

If you've come to Istanbul then you have to visit the Grand Bazaar but be warned: It's nuts in…read morehere. Lots of traffic, lots of confusion, lots of vendors and lots of walking. One thing they don't have? Lots of prices. As with many things in this part of the world, you're expected to haggle. Pick a shop, pick your item and decide how much you'd like to pay for it. Me? I like knowing how much something costs. I don't want a conversation. I want to browse and look and try to figure out if the items I see are something I might be interested in purchasing. And so I found the Kapalıçarşı to be very hard for me to shop. I ended up buying nothing. Way too much going on here for me. The Grand Bazaar is historic. Gate number 1 (there are some 19 "official" gates) dates back to 1461. Yeah, that's seriously old!

My wife and I found Abi and his brother to be wonderful. We originally purchased a carpet from them…read moremany years ago in Istanbul and have really enjoyed it. We have stayed in touch and have purchased many more when Abi visits the U.S. on his annual road shows. I recommend a visit while you are in Istanbul. You will be impressed. Bob

Scammers from alibaba WhatsApp. They report cheap prices and…read morefake shipping. Big time scammers. Never shop with them.

BUYER BEWARE!!! This place will scam you big time! This is a total racket in Turkey. They sat us…read moredown, brought in this you lady who demonstrated making hand-knotted rugs and told us the rugs they showed us were handmade. I bought a 6 X 9 rug for $2500. When it arrived, it wasn't the rug I chose, but a 4 X 6 rug. I told them it wasn't the right rug or size and they tried to accuse me of changing my mind, suggesting I was lying about it not being the correct rug. I disputed the charge and they finally agreed to send me the correct sized rug. I received the rug and felt the need to confirm that it was handmade. I consulted a very reputable local rug dealer and my suspicions were confirmed, it was NOT handmade!!! It was machine made and not worth $2500!!! Mr. Melik told us that if the sheen of the rug changes when looking at it from one end to the other, that means it is handmade. This is a complete lie!!! Do NOT deal with these people!!! Lesson learned!!!