3 Best Sights in Istanbul, Turkey

Take a deep breath, and plunge into this maze of 65 winding, covered streets crammed with 4,000 tiny shops, cafés, restaurants, mosques, and courtyards. Originally built by Mehmet II (the Conqueror) in 1461 over the main Byzantine shopping streets, the Grand Bazaar was rebuilt after fires in both 1943 and 1954. It's said that this early version of a shopping mall contains the largest concentration of stores under one roof anywhere in the world, and that's easy to believe.

Some of the most aggressive salesmanship in the world takes place here, so take yet another deep breath, and put up your guard while exploring. Oddly enough, though, the sales pitches, the crowds, and the sheer volume of junky trinkets on offer can be hypnotizing. Enjoy a glass of tea while you browse through leather goods, carpets, fabric, clothing, furniture, ceramics, and gold and silver jewelry. Remember, whether you're bargaining for a pair of shoes or an antique carpet, the best prices are offered when the would-be seller thinks you are about to slip away.

Just off İstiklal Caddesi, next to the entrance to the Çiçek Pasajı, the Balık Pazarı makes for great street theater: it's a bustling labyrinth of streets filled with stands selling fish, produce, spices, sweets, and souvenirs, and there are also a couple of eateries specializing in kokoreç (grilled lamb intestines). The adjacent Second Empire–style arcade, known as Çiçek Pasajı, was one of Istanbul's grandest shopping venues when it was built in 1876. In the early 20th century, it was gradually taken over by flower shops run by White Russian émigrés—earning it the name "Flower Arcade." In later decades, the arcade became dominated by famously boisterous meyhanes, or tavernas. It now houses about a dozen rather touristy meyhane-style restaurants offering meze and fish. For a more authentic local vibe, continue toward the end of the Fish Market and turn right on narrow Nevizade Sokak, a lively strip of bars and meyhanes, all with tiny sidewalk tables packed with locals in summer.

The enticing Spice Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, is much smaller than the Grand Bazaar but more colorful—though not as colorful, perhaps, as it was in the 17th century, when it was built to generate rental income to pay for the upkeep of the Yeni Cami (New Mosque) next door. In those earlier days, the bazaar was a vast pharmacy filled with burlap bags overflowing with herbs and spices fresh off the ships from Egypt and the Spice Islands. Today, although an increasing number of souvenir shops have opened up in the bazaar, you can still wander past numerous stalls chockablock with sacks of spices (including highly sought-after Iranian saffron); bags full of dried fruit and nuts; and delicacies including lokum (Turkish delight), caviar, and Turkish coffee and tea. The maze of narrow streets around the back of the bazaar is filled with open-air booths and shops selling similar foodstuffs—as well as everything from household items to medicinal leeches—at generally cheaper prices.