We stayed at the Marmara Pera for 3 nights recently. Location is very good, close to walking…read morestreets filled with stores and restaurants. Hotel room was clean, with amazing city views. Bathtub was very deep, so difficult to get in and out of. Would recommend requesting a shower only if one is older or less mobile. Breakfast buffet was excellent and plentiful. Enjoyed two dinners at the restaurant. Food was good, and the service was excellent. We asked if we could print our boarding passes, and was told we could email the hotel and they would print for us. No business office to be able to print ourselves. The hotel had staff introduce us to our hotel room which wasn't really necessary. Just seemed like a money grab, as the expectation was to tip.

Great location with many restaurants and shops in the area. The rooms are nice, modern but the…read morebathroom is small . Desk staff aren't the most personable or helpful.

I did a walking tour in Istanbul. Our last stop was at the Grand Bazaar. I have been told that it…read moreis the largest market in the city. It's huge! You can easily get lost looking at a ton of merchandise. I bought M&M's cell phone cases. I also got Turkish tea. You can score pretty decent deals. If you need to bring back gifts, this place is for you. It does get busy. Pack patience with you! (106)

This place is a haggler's dream. I remember my visit so vividly. From the Turkish delight samples…read moreand gentleman pushing free apple tea to the comical haggling and beautiful scarves. This is *the* grand bazaar often credited fir today's modern mall concept. The energy is buzzing in every nook and cranny of the grand bazaar and you could easily lose yourself in the abundance of colorful stalls selling nearly everything under the sun- but most importantly, artistic Turkish treasures like rugs, lighting, scarves, etc. A few other notables that will mark this experience in your memory forevermore: -The beautiful call to prayer playing over the speakers throughout the hallways -the Grand Bazaar is located conveniently not too far from the spice bazaar (another great stop for treasures and smells) Don't be shy! Bartering is part of the experience and if you work at it, you're in for some deals and fun. (Note that bartering is part of the Turkish culture and almost like a sport in the Grand Bazaar).

A phenomenal gallery with wonderful art pieces, beautiful jewelry, and tasty espresso. A true…read moreIstanbul gem. The gallery owes its charm mostly to its owner Emre, who is highly engaging a pleasure to converse with. I highly recommend this gallery for anyone visiting Istanbul.

If you spend time in Istanbul you end up back in the ancient past. Once you've seen too many…read moreOttoman era mosques and Roman era ruins, it's time to see a very unique collection of modern and contemporary art in a most artistic 21st century building, itself a work of art. Impressive sculptures in front, awesome view of the Bosphorus from the terrace and one of the more affordable admission prices in town. Fear no Art.

Located in the cruise ship port, this is a super modern museum with lots to see…read more I enjoyed the photography exhibition best. The upper and lower terraces have amazing views and worth every penny. Two floors of viewing. Sculpture. Painting. Mixed media. Photography. Textiles. The works on display and well done although by the time we finished my head hurt. Not too expensive and well positioned to get those cruise dollars.

Another good art gallery in Karakoy, Istanbul waiting for to be discovered. Cats and dogs on the…read morestreet are welcoming you first. Nice staff. The manager showed us some pieces of art, she was a cute lady. They have workshops for adults and kids. Better to go again in September. They will have more events with the beginning of September.

My girlfriend and I were blown away by Ark of Crafts and the curator, Nilufer. It was so much more…read morethan I expected even after reading the great reviews on Trip Advisor. I am happy to be the first to move the tips to Yelpers. We spent an hour in this tiny corner of the beautiful upstairs terrace bar of the Adahan hotel. You just want to pick everything up, feel it, and inspect the fine craftsmanship in the details. And Nilufer is always with you to explain each piece and each artist. These are real artists and much of it is made by or support women. After spending so many days wandering around Istanbul walking into shops wondering what is fake and what is legit it's so refreshing to have someone walk you through some of the real deal items that hold much of Istanbuls charm. I felt more informed when visiting other places like the Grand Bazaar because we came here first! Ornate pottery, detailed painted pieces, fine china, housewares, etc. The space is a wonderful place to spend the hour it should take you to explore. The view from the terrace is a terrific reason too, but go there, have a tea, coffee, beer or wine (apparently there's a great breakfast here, and a nice place for a drink at night too) and let Nilufer be the biggest reason why Ark of Crafts really blows the others out of the water.

It's not a trip to Istanbul unless you visit the spice bazaar at least a couple of times!…read more The spice bazaar is filled with anything and everything you could possibly imagine! Spices that are grown in the country, imported from other countries, and there are some amazing finds. We wandered through almost every nook and cranny, and after a while, one store is very much like another period. It can become overwhelming trying to figure out who to bargain with, which spices are the best, and if it's really a deal. There are tons of shops that are more dessert, shops, and feature more types of baklava than I think I've ever seen in my entire life. Each piece looks tastier than the last. Definitely be aware of shady shop owners. There's no other way to say it. Just be cautious when shopping. While I loved the architecture, the tremendous amounts of spices, jewelry, textiles, etc. I actually ended up walking away without buying anything. Shop owners and customers alike were smoking all over the spices, in the stores, and it just made the idea of purchasing what should be Fresh items unappealing. It's still a great place to wander through and look at all the wonderful items that are for sale. It's definitely a place you don't want to miss out on. Diners tip: ironically there is a Michelin star rated restaurant at this location. Reservationsare a must.

So we had just walked down from the Grand Bazaar and decided to head to the Egyptian Bazaar Spice…read moreBazaar. It was as advertised mostly spice shops selling spice, tea, coffee and the like. So why 3 stars you ask? There was nothing special about the place aside from crossing it off a list we had made up before we had traveled here. The shops were basically duplicated in the Grand Bazaar. If you have time constraints like we did, you should head to the Grand. It has all the spices and vendors this one has plus all of the other stuff. And I agree with Celeste B that stopping to window shop will trigger the hard sale pitch to get you in. Tea is the gateway drug lol

Founded and run by Derya Demir, Galeri NON is a venue that "embraces non-disciplinary art practices…read more- resulting in new languages and artistic experiences" . The gallery showcases the works of emerging artists, participates in international art fairs, and welcomes new perspectives. Derya touches you with her very bold and strong choices. It gets her in to trouble with some people, sometimes. But, for me? Bring it on! Keep going! Read More: Gallery NON Arts & Entertainment in Beyoğlu in Istanbul http://www.theguideistanbul.com/spots/detail/478#ixzz2JoZvUXsg