When you live in Istanbul, important places with long, interesting histories often start to feel like ordinary buildings or structures after you pass them every day. Likewise, landmarks people travel thousands of kilometers to visit, over time, become spots you would not even bother to take a 10-minute bus ride to see.

I have been living in Istanbul for almost five years now, but the last time I visited the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar was more than a decade ago when I visited the city with my friends. Hence, last weekend, I decided to hit the road - I live in Bakırköy so getting to Eminönü on a crowded weekend takes more than an hour - to take a small tour of the historical peninsula to create a quick guide for those who only have a little time to spend in the city.

Think about Eminönü as a huge open-air shopping mall where you can find everything from magnets for your fridge to wedding gowns. The district of Eminönü has been the heart of trade in Istanbul since the day it was founded. Arriving in Eminönü, it is easy to get lost in the narrow streets, distracted by all the action of shopping, bargaining and people shouting at each other. Simply, follow the crowd, keep your pace and follow the exquisite smell of the spices, which will all lead you to the Spice Bazaar.

The Spice Bazaar

Right at the entrance of the Spice Bazaar an intoxicating smell grabs your attention. Spices in thousands of colors adorn the stalls erected right in front of the shops' doors, smelling like heaven.

Built in 1664 as a part of the New Mosque in Eminönü to financially support the mosque, the Spice Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, was the place where you could find the most exotic spices, dried fruit and herbs from the Middle East, India and Egypt. The bazaar was commissioned in 1660 by Hatice Turhan Sultan, the mother of Sultan Mehmet IV. It was built by the architect Kazım Aga. Designed in an "L" shape, the bazaar features 88 separate shops and six different gates.


The Spice Bazaar is home to numerous spices and herbs from all over the world.

Back in the day, the Spice Bazaar was called "the pharmacy of Istanbul," and the nickname could not be more accurate. There are thousands of different herbs and spices and an endless number of mixtures that are believed to remedy a number of ailments, from skin diseases to kidney disorders.

The colors, noises and smells of the Spice Bazaar can be slightly disorienting. As you wander around the shops, you suddenly forget what you need to buy and begin to taste and smell everything offered by the shopkeepers. Although I got distracted a bit in the beginning, I soon recovered from the mesmerizing atmosphere and bought myself some Turkish delight and Turkish coffee, the two essential things to get if you happen to visit the Spice Bazaar.

The Grand Bazaar

Leaving the Spice Bazaar behind, I headed to my second destination: the magnificent Grand Bazaar. Well, I actually got lost a couple of times and had to ask for directions from a few dozen people to get to the place I needed to be.

The Grand Bazaar is the world's oldest shopping mall, built on the orders of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, who was also known as Mehmed the Conqueror after the Ottoman army conquered the ancient city of Istanbul from the Byzantine Empire in 1461. You might hear that Istanbul is one of the livelier cities in the world but in the Grand Bazaar, the word "lively" is not enough. Inside the bazaar, there is a kind of harmony of chaos. People flock in through the many gates of the bazaar yet seem to find their way around the huge building without needing any assistance - not in my case though.

The Grand Bazaar was not that "grand" when it was first built in 1461. The building started as a small "bedesten" (a covered bazaar) and grew larger and larger by linking with neighboring bedestens, shops and caravanserais (inns) and assumed its current layout.


A drawing by an anonymous artist portraying the daily life in the Grand Bazaar in Ottoman times.

Designed like a giant labyrinth with interesting aesthetics, the Grand Bazaar is among Istanbul's and Turkey's leading touristic and commercial attractions. Occupying 40,000 square meters of space, the bazaar accommodates more than 2,500 shops. The bazaar has 60 covered streets, each bearing the name of sellers of a particular good, such as Altuncular (gold sellers), Basmacılar (printed cloth sellers), Fesçiler (tarboosh sellers) and İplikçiler (yarn sellers). The Grand Bazaar features brick roofs and domes and has 22 gates and 29 inns. The Grand Bazaar is truly a maze where you can find everything you're looking for. It may not be the center of trade in the 21st century, but the Grand Bazaar is definitely the soul of the city, a melting pot of old and new, traditional and modern. The bazaar is still home to cultures and art forms of various civilizations and is still endeavoring to sustain the Ahi culture, an artisan, craftsman and producer's guild founded by Turks in Anatolia, the Balkans and Crimea.

It is hard to describe the atmosphere of the Grand Bazaar. While you aimlessly wander around its streets, a break and a cup of Turkish coffee is often a good idea as you try to absorb all the images and feelings the bazaar has to offer. I sat down at a coffee house called Şark Kahvesi inside the bazaar and ordered a traditional Turkish coffee, wondering for how many centuries the smell of Turkish coffee has wafted down the streets of the bazaar.

As you leave the bazaar, it is as if you have stepped out of a different time, where everything was simple and more beautiful. Visiting the Grand Bazaar is not your typical shopping experience but more like a trip back in time where you can buy a cute gold ring or a carpet for your living room.

NOTE FOR SHOPPERS

Tradition still rules in the old bazaars. As a shopper you need to follow tradition as well: Bargain like you have never bargained before! Try to cut the price as much as you can. Never forget that saving a couple of liras never hurts. Make sure you force the hand of the shopkeeper and add a little more competition to the game since both parties know that there are many shops in these bazaars where you can find the same stuff.