SHOPHING IN TURKEY

Shopping is one of the most enjoyable occasions of a holiday. Handicrafts peculiar to each region extends the attractiveness of shopping. Galeries in which the production of the samples of traditional Turkish arts is carried out to be put up for sale, carpet and kilim workshops, places of copper made handworks, are among the colorful shopping centers It is for sure that you can find the pleasure of shopping in Kapalı Çarşı(Covered Bazaar,İstanbul.Again in İstanbul the Mısır Çarşısı or Spice Bazaar welcomes you with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, safran, mint, thyme and every other conceivable herb and spice.

Turkish carpets and kilims renowned throughout the entire world are unique in their beauty and quality. To choose and purchase these carpets in different regions and various styles enables the one to recieve the moments of pleasurable moments. Still world famous Turkish leather and textile manufactures adorn the stores in the tourism centers and big cities with the elegant lines of the lates fashion styles.

Handwork of jewelry in Anatolia dates back to the Neolithic period. Traditional forms of jewelry dating back to such ancient periods together with the aesthetics of the modern 20th century nuances form the impressive models of jewelry. Looking at the beautiful jewelries made of silver, gold and other precious methals and stones is a pleasure on its own.

İstanbul, İznik and Kütahya are among the other cities of production centers of renowned Turkish glass, porcelain and İznik tiles. In the utmost beauties of the samples of the traditional Turkish tiles, colors displays a harmonious dance with each other. Eskişehir and its environs are the places where meerschaum knowned as white gold is mined and embroidered. Bilecik, Söğüt and Nevşehir regions are well-known for their vases made of Hacıbektaş stone. Assorted handmade laces, pinkings, embroidery canvas, colored cotton kerchief, purses made by aesthetic styles peculiar to Anatolia add liveliness and vividness to souvenirs being sold in shopping centers. Modern malls as "Galleria Ataköy", "Akmerkez", "Atrium", "Atlas Pasajı" in İstanbul and "Atakule", "Karum", "Galleria" in Ankara offer various shopping opportunities. The notion of shopping, dating back to 2000 B.C in Kültepe and Acemhöyük, Anatolia has reached its peak through the development process in 2000s.

İSTANBUL

One could visit Istanbul for the shopping alone. The Kapali Carsi, or Covered Bazaar, in the old city is the logical place to start. This labyrinth of streets and passages houses more than 4,000 shops. The names recall the days when each trade had its own quarter: the goldsmiths' street, the carpet sellers' street, the street of the skullcap makers. Still the commercial center of the old city, the bazaar is the original shopping mall with something to suit every taste and pocket.

Charming souvenirs and gifts can be selected from among Turkish crafts, the world renowned carpets, brilliant hand painted ceramics, copperware, brassware, and meerschaum pipes. The gold jewelry in brilliantly lit cases dazzles passersby. Leather and suede goods of excellent quality make a relatively inexpensive purchase. In the heart of the bazaar, the Old Bedesten offers a curious assortment of antiques. It is worth poking through the clutter of decades in the hope of finding a treasure.

The Misir Carsisi or Spice Bazaar, next to the Yeni Mosque at Eminonu, transports you to fantasies from the mystical East. The enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every other conceivable herb and spice fill the air. Sultanahmet has become another shopping mecca in the old city. The Istanbul Sanatlari Carsisi (Bazaar of Istanbul Arts) in the 18th century Mehmet Efendi Medresesi, and the nearby 16th- century Caferaga Medrese, built by Sinan, offer you the chance to see craftsmen at work and to purchase their wares. In the Arasta (old bazaar) of the Sultanahmet Mosque, a thriving shopping arcade makes both shopping and sightseeing very convenient.

The sophisticated shops of the Taksim - Nisantasi districts contrast with the chaos of the bazaars. On Istiklal Avenue , Cumhuriyet Avenue and Rumeli Avenue , you can browse peacefully in the most fashionable shops selling elegant fashions made from Turkey 's high quality textiles. Exquisite jewelry as well as finely designed handbags and shoes can also be found. The Atakoy Galleria Mall in Atakoy and the Akmerkez Mall in Etiler have branches of Istanbul 's most elegant shops. In Bakirkoy, the Carousel Mall is worth a visit, as is the Atlas Passage in Beyoglu. Bahariye Avenue , Bagdat Avenue ,and Capitol Mall on the Asian side, offer the same shopping opportunities.

In Istanbul 's busy flea markets you can find an astonishing assortment of goods, both old and new. Every day offers a new opportunity to poke about the Sahaflar Carsisi and Cinaralti in the Beyazit district. On Sundays, in a flea market between the Sahaflar and the Covered Bazaar, vendors uncover their wares on carts and blankets. The Horhor Carsisi is a collection of shops that sell furniture of varying age and quality. Flea markets are open daily in the Topkapi district, on Cukurcuma Sokak in Cihangir, on Buyuk Hamam Sokak in Uskudar, in the Kadikoy Carsi Duragi area, and between Eminonu and Tahtakale. After a Sunday drive up the Bosphorus, stop between Buyukdere and Sariyer to wander through another lively market. 

ANKARA

Ankara 's shopping centers cluster around Ulus, Kızılay and Kavaklıdere. One place which newcomers like to visit is the Çıkrıkçılar Yokuşu and its shops (near Ulus). All around the castle in Ulus, in the area of Çıkrıkçılar Yokuşu and Samanpazarı, there are shops which sell traditional handicrafts such as textiles, copper, ceramics, wickerwork and leather as well as a variety of jewelry, decorations, gift items and all types of antiques.

In the Bakırcılar Market, one can find souvenirs, antiques and clothes as well as copperware and jewelry. At the end of the ascent to the castle is a small bazaar with stands selling spices, dried fruit and nuts and other products

The modern shopping centers are generally in Kızılay, Tunalı Hilmi Street and at Atakule in Çankaya. The 125 m Atakule dominates the city landscape and from the revolving restaurant one has a breathtaking view of Ankara . The most elite department stores in Turkey are in the Karum Mall in Kavaklıdere; its restaurants and entertainment offer recreational activities other than shopping.

İZMİR

The densest shopping traffic facing streets of İzmir, are the Kemeraltı Streets, which are still holding the last century's atmosphere on the curves of pull - down shutters, thresholds of the doors, low ceilings and old briquettes, and at left and rights side the Anafartalar Boulevard . As well as former appearance can not be seen fully, its still voices of street vendors, unique noises of bronze workers bazaar, gentle splash of Sebil adjacent to Şadırvan Mosque, noises of fishermen with their wet aprons in Kestane bazaar, are the signs showing that Kemeraltı is not changed much. 

Urgancılar Bazaar, Jewelers Bazaar, printed cotton sellers, shoe sellers are all still continuing their businesses. Besides these, best and modern shopping centers are in Kordon Promenades in Alsancak, Karşıyaka and Cumhuriyet Boulevard .

You can shop with reaching to Alsancak, in which selected boutiques and shops are present, after visiting Çankaya, which is neighbor to the most importing shopping center, Kemeraltı in İzmir, and can also find the same possibilities in Karşıyaka.

ANTALYA

In Antalya , there are shopping malls that will have anything the foreign or local tourist could hope to find. Antalya is famous for its jams and jellies made from every fruit and vegetable imaginable. The most interesting ones are the eggplant, watermelon, bergamut and turunc jellies. There are also souvenirs and gift items peculiar to Turkey in the shops of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture and the shops in the old city. The area is famous for its 'Döşemealtı' carpets colored with natural root dyes.

NEVŞEHİR