Grand Bazaar
Among the places to visit in Istanbul, Grand Bazaar is the best place where you can find all the weavings of Turkey at same time. The bazaar in Beyazıt is known as the Grand Bazaar by foreign tourists. The Grand Bazaar was built during the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror and has been in existence for about 550 years.
The bazaar which aimed to increase the income of the Ottoman Empire when it was first opened, has grown over time and has become the most important trade center in the region. The Grand Bazaar, the oldest shopping center in the world, is also one of the largest shopping centers in the world with an area of 45,000 square meters. The name of the Grand Bazaar is also mentioned in Evliya Çelebi’s Travel Book. Apart from that other travel books mention its size and the shops inside.
Grand Bazaar has 4000 shops and it is famous for jewelery shops. Besides the jewelers, there are also spices, carpets, rugs and fabrics. Even if you are not going to buy anything from the Grand Bazaar, you should definitely wander through the shops because it would not be possible to go back without feeling the nostalgic atmosphere of old Istanbul.