21 August, 2011
I’m sure to encounter numerous Bazaars and Markets on my Turkey motorcycle tour. In Istanbul, there are endless vendor stalls selling rugs, jewellery, clothes, spices, sweets, kebaps; almost anything you can think of.
The Grand Bazaar is a labyrinth of covered narrow streets that you could spend days in where all the vendors are your friend and enquire about your country of origin.
After sunset the part time vendors simply set up anywhere they can find space on the footpaths hoping to attract tourists looking for more bargains.
Here are some images from the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market.
Update: On the advice of merCAN and after navigating the maze of “streets” in the Grand Bazaar I enjoyed the best ever kebap lunch at Gaziantep Burç Ocakbaşi. Hard to find but so worth it if you are within 5 miles of The Grand Bazaar (or anywhere in Istanbul for that matter).
Burç alone was worthy of the 3,400 miles I’d ridden from London to Istanbul on my Turkey motorcycle tour.