My Favorite Market in Istanbul: Çarşamba Pazarı
The Çarşamba Pazarı, or Wednesday Market, is hands down my favorite market in Istanbul. I visited six different open air markets while living in Istanbul, and although each one holds a special place in my heart, the Çarşamba Market is the one I will continue to visit for years to come.
Located in the uber-Conservative neighborhood of Fatih, the Wednesday market has thousands of vendors selling everything from purses to fresh produce. All of the roads in the neighborhood are shut down for the market which takes place along the streets, under white tents. If you visit Fatih any other day of the week there is no indication that a HUGE market exists on Wednesdays.
You can reach Fatih by taxi, metro, or on foot, but any way you choose, be prepared for A LOT of walking. The few times I visited, I ended up walking several miles through the endless streets of goodies! The market starts in the morning and goes until mid-afternoon. I recommend going late morning because if you go too early, some vendors may still be setting up.
The Çarşamba Market is where many locals do their weekly shopping. As I mentioned before, the neighborhood is known for being conservative, so expect to see many women wearing hijab or burkas. There are not many tourists, especially in the winter months, but you can blend in by wearing pants, sweaters, dark/neutral colors. The reality is there are SO many people there that no one will pay much attention to you, even if you clearly stand out as a tourist. I personally just feel more comfortable trying to blend in with the crowds.
Some vendors speak English, some do not. Because this market is geared towards locals, the prices are often displayed and you do not have to (/shouldn’t) bargain with them. This means you can get by easily without knowing Turkish. When a vendor would discover I didn’t speak Turkish, they were always very kind, and sometimes surprised or excited to have a tourist at their stand. I visited the market alone twice, and felt safe and welcome.
Now on to why I love this market so much… besides being a very authentic/not touristy experience, it is a shopping paradise! You can buy clothes, shoes, home goods, food, and drinks at rock-bottom prices!
There’s not quite as many knock-off goods as The Grand Bazaar, but if you are looking for that sort of thing, you’ll find purses, make-up, shoes, clothing, etc.. I would say the quality isn’t that great, but I was willing to pay $2 for a fake Naked eye palette just to find out.
Because we were living in Istanbul and weren’t just on a short trip, I was really into the various food products. It was a gold mine for aged cheeses, smoked sausages, fresh fruit, olives, nuts… Oh, I could go on and on (if you are also a foodie, check out my post on The 17 Best Foods in Istanbul)! The vendors are happy to show off their products and you can try nearly everything for free. To show you what I bought on my first trip, look at the photos below!
That was everything I bought on my first visit in January. My second visit in March, I went with my friend, Dina, and purchased even more goodies, shown below.
The video above (by Dina!) does a great job of showing the market. It’s busy — full of life, food, and just a really great way to spend a few hours even if you aren’t looking to buy much.
Edit: my husband wanted me to mention that the most famous place to eat lamb in all of Istanbul is located close by, I have placed a pin at restaurant location, Siirt Şeref Buryan, on the map above. It would be a wise decision to grab lunch there after the market!
If I haven’t hammered home my point yet, let me wrap up by saying — if you want to really, truly experience Istanbul (plus buy awesome things at great prices), go to the Çarşamba Market!!! Then come back to this post and tell me all the wonderful things you bought 🙂
As always, please pin the photo above to remember this post for your future visits to Istanbul! To read more about our travels in Turkey, click a photo below 🙂
Wow!!! What great bargains. I must go there someday!!!!!