There is a lot to be said for the lost art of wandering. Rare is it these days that anyone just spends the day strolling the streets, casually visiting shops and cafes as if there wasn’t a care in the world.
The random serendipitous connections we can make when discovering new areas, the effortless exercise that wandering involves and the opportunity to support local retailers make the process a wonderful way to spend a day in Istanbul.
Check out these six picturesque, friendly and creative areas of Istanbul for perusing shops and having a pitstop for lunch or coffee. It will help you find a unique gift for your loved ones and get you into the holiday spirit.
Walk the streets of the Old Town and be mesmerized by the historical sites. One can easily pay a visit to Hagia Sofia, Sultanahmet Mosque, the Museum of Islamic Crafts and visit the exquisite exhibition ongoing in the Underwater Cisterns. Enjoy a cup of coffee at the café in the Archaeology Museum's garden and then peruse over to Topkapı Palace to stop at the Museum Shop for tasteful gifts that are unique to Türkiye.
The Grand Bazaar is a great place for gift-purchasing. With each area segregated for different products – textiles, carpets, trinkets and more – it is easy to spot something for everyone. A top spot for a meaningful gift would be to visit the Old Bedestan where you can find antiques and jewelry, then a great pit stop would be to sit and have tea.
Head to the colorful neighborhood of Tahtakale that lies behind the Spice Bazaar. Wander through the maze of streets that are each devoted to different themes of wholesale and commercial shops. From baskets to woodwork, beads to games, cooking and hunting supplies, this neighborhood can provide a wealth of surprise ideas for gifts and souvenirs.
The Spice Bazaar also has a wide variety of shops selling accessories, bags and shawls besides the diverse spread of spices, teas, tinctures, nuts, dried fruits and sweet snacks. A trip to Tahtakale could easily be paired with lunch at Hamdi, which is famed for its views as much as its daytime doner service.
Take a stroll from Taksim down İstiklal Avenue while perusing all the big brand shops and stop at any of the many restaurants in the region, spanning from street food to home cooking to international cuisine. A popular pitstop that falls in the middle of the pedestrian avenue is Ara Café, which features a wonderful menu of global fare and photographs from Türkiye’s most renowned photographer.
From there, head down to the Galata District and Tower, and along the way, you will find instrument shops, small art galleries and colorful jewelry stores. A venture to the sightseeing deck at the top of the tower is always an inspirational experience offering a perspective of the city in all of its glory!
Take a ferry or the Tünel to Karaköy and walk the maze of streets lined with hip upscale restaurants and cafes until you hit the famous Gaziantep baklava shop Güllüoğlu, where they also serve chocolate baklava. And then stop for a coffee at Astrolabe. Visit the Istanbul Modern and the Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture, if only for their gift shops alone to find memorable and creative gifts for this holiday season. Then have lunch at any one of the great eateries in Galataport, such as the Populist, Big Chefs, or Roka for Japanese food.
The most popular neighborhood on the Asian side of Istanbul is undoubtedly Kadıköy’s Moda, which is infiltrated with shops, restaurants and cafes that are buzzing from morning to night. Head to Ali Usta for a wonderful sahlep topped with a scoop of ice cream and then top it all off with a cup of coffee at any one of the neighborhood's new-wave coffee shops and bakeries. Wander the streets and check out the artisan shops, t-shirt and kitsch shops, secondhand book stalls and antique-lined streets.
Then head up to Bahariye, which is a full-on pedestrian shopping avenue equipped with its own nostalgic tramway. Here you will find several brand-name shops mixed in with independent clothing shops and some shoe stores. Stop into Saray for a warm meal of traditional Turkish dishes such as soups, stews and su böreği, or desserts such as supangle and kazandibi.
The most popular shopping district on the Asian side of Istanbul has always been Bağdat Street, a one-way street lined with shops and restaurants that parallels the seashore. For a full-on adventure, start the journey from Kadıköy or any point along the way to Suadiye and walk along the landscaped coastal parkway until you hit Suadiye, and then head up to Bagdat Street and start walking west.
Shops line the street all the way to Göztepe, offering a wonderful range of brand names and independent retailers selling clothing. There are also several bookstores, as well as a multitude of restaurants and cafes tucked into the nooks of the main thoroughfare and nearly every side street. This is also a lucky time of the year, as many shops will be decorated for the holiday season and New Year.
