5 Best Sights in The Black Sea Coast and Lake Van, Turkey

The pedestrian-only Kunduracılar Caddesi leads into the maze of the covered bazaar, which includes a 16th-century bedestan, or covered market, that has been restored and now houses several cafés and a number of gift shops. The bazaar predominantly sells inexpensive clothes to locals, but does have a small but appealing section of coppersmiths, who make a variety of bowls, trays, and pots. The city's largest mosque, the Çarşi Cami, was built in 1839 and is joined to the market by an archway.

Diyarbakır's bazaar encompasses the half dozen streets surrounding Ulu Cami; most stalls are shrines to wrought metal—gates, picks, shovels, plumbing fixtures, plastic shoes, and other things you probably would not want to carry home in your luggage. Across the street from the mosque is the grand 16th-century Hasan Paşa Hanı, a photogenic kervansaray (a roadside inn), housing a few carpet and souvenir dealers. It's a tranquil place to stop for tea or a generous brunch.

Mardin's lively bazaar runs parallel to the old town's main street, Birinici Caddesi, and is refreshingly free of the stalls selling the usual tourist gifts. This is the place to come if you're looking to buy a new saddle for your donkey or a copper urn—or as is more likely, if you just want to get the feel of an authentic town bazaar. There are also spice shops, fresh fruit and vegetable stands with the produce of the season piled high, and assorted other shops catering to local needs. In the center of the bazaar is the 12th-century Ulu Camii, with its beautifully carved minaret.

The heart of the bazaar is the Zincirli Bedestan, with shops selling copper work, mother-of-pearl inlay, saddles, and Ottoman-style leather shoes. Beyond the bedestan is the Bakırcılar Çarşısı, the market of the coppersmiths, where an orchestra of craftspeople tap out bowls and coffee cups between customers. From here you emerge at the Tahmis Coffee House, one of the most traditional places to try the local menengiç (wild pistachio) coffee and where, legend has it, the Sultan Murat IV dropped in for coffee on his way to conquer Baghdad in 1638 (the current shop was built after a fire destroyed the original in the 19th century). The neighboring Sufi lodge, now the Mevlevihanesi Vakif Museum, has historic Korans and kilims (along with free admission).

A short walk east from the park leads to Urfa's bazaar, where in summertime merchants wait patiently in the hot sun for the occasional tour group. The bazaar is filled with small hans—a collection of stores and workshops built around a central courtyard—that have tailors, coppersmiths, and other artisans working away, using what seem like ancient machines and tools. At the literal heart of the bazaar is the wonderful Bedesten and adjacent Gümrük Han, a large courtyard filled with chatting men playing backgammon or chess and sipping tea. Around the courtyard are the small workshops of tailors sewing inexpensive suits. The bazaar is a good place to shop for spices and copper items and you can usually find bargains, especially on carpets and kilims.