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).

I really cant say enough good things about the experience we had in this shop. We stopped in to…read moreshop on the way to the Bazaars as our hotel was in the Galata area. We were encouraged to look around and ask questions without being hassled or pressured in the slightest. the prices were very fair. We returned from the Bazaars excited to get our shop on and we were not disappointed! We were allowed to swap globes with different lamps, hunt for the "right" tea set, and I swear we looked at every single lamp....twice! The shop keeper was very patient and helpful and carefully wrapped everything in bubble wrap so well that it all made it home in our luggage with no breaks or cracks at all. The prices were much cheaper than the Bazaars and we didnt need to haggle to feel like we got a great value. The shop keeper also told us that they use WhatsApp to video chat with customers and ship internationally. I will say that they MUCH prefer cash over credit cards as do most merchants in Istanbul.