Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar)

There is no ticket for the Spice Bazaar, and it opens every day, Sundays too, from roughly 09:00 to 19:00. So when the Grand Bazaar is closed, this is where to go instead. It is a lot smaller as well: around 85 shops in an L-shaped hall, ten minutes from one end to the other, though hardly anyone walks it that quickly.

Key facts

History in brief

Finished in 1664, the market belonged to the New Mosque complex, and the rent from its shops covered the mosque's upkeep. In Turkish it is called Misir Carsisi, the Egyptian Bazaar: tax revenue from Ottoman Egypt helped pay for it, and a lot of its goods came by ship from Cairo. Istanbul's pharmacists and herbalists bought their supplies here for centuries. Spices are still the main trade, though Turkish delight, nuts and souvenirs now fill just as many shelves.

What to buy

• Spices: sumac, pul biber (Aleppo-style chilli flakes), isot pepper, cumin and saffron. If you are flying home, ask for vacuum packing.
• Turkish delight (lokum), sold in dozens of flavours. The classics are pistachio and plain rose; double-roasted pistachio is the top grade.
• Nuts and dried fruit: pistachios from Antep, Malatya dried apricots, figs and mulberries.
• Tea: apple tea is sold mainly to tourists; Turks themselves drink Rize black tea.
• Pestil and kome, dried fruit paste in sheets and strings, found on the streets outside.

Cheap saffron in big bags is nearly always safflower. Genuine saffron is expensive and is sold by the gram in small boxes.

The streets around it

The outside streets are as interesting as the hall. To the west, Hasircilar Caddesi has shops for cheese and olives, a coffee roaster with a queue of locals buying ground Turkish coffee, and a lane of knives and kitchenware. Up a staircase from the market street, five minutes' walk, the small Rustem Pasha Mosque has some of Istanbul's finest Iznik tiles and seldom gets crowded. The New Mosque courtyard is right beside the market, and across the road the Galata Bridge begins, lined with fishermen.

When to go

The easiest time is a weekday morning. Local families fill the hall on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons, and in the late afternoon ferry commuters pack the outer streets. Before holidays it gets busiest of all, as people buy nuts and sweets in bulk.

The Istanbul Private Shopping Tour: Grand Bazaar & Spice Market gives you four hours in both markets with a guide who knows which sellers weigh fairly. The Istanbul Dolmabahce & Bosphorus Tour with Private Guide starts here too, before the cruise.

Tips

• Signs usually show the price per kilo. You can ask for 100 or 250 grams without any problem.
• Tasting is expected, and you do not have to buy after tasting.
• For the same nuts and spices, shops in the hall charge more than those on Hasircilar Caddesi.
• Cards are accepted in many shops, but paying cash may get you a small discount.
• Pickpockets operate in the crowds around the Eminonu tram and ferry stops. Carry your phone in a front pocket.
• Australia, New Zealand and the United States restrict certain spices and seeds at customs. Look up your own country's rules before buying in quantity.

Find out what else pairs well with Eminonu on our Istanbul destination page.

Frequently Asked Questions