The Spice Bazaar is Istanbul's second-largest covered market, and the tastiest: an L-shaped arcade of about 80 shops selling spices, sweets, teas, dried fruit, nuts and cheese, right beside the Eminönü ferry piers. Turks call it Mısır Çarşısı, the Egyptian Bazaar, because it was paid for with taxes from the Ottoman province of Egypt and because this is where goods from Cairo came ashore.
A visit takes about an hour and costs nothing, and I almost always pair it with the Grand Bazaar or the walk up to the Süleymaniye Mosque. Here are my tips for shopping well in the most fragrant market in Istanbul.
A little history
The bazaar was completed in 1664 as part of the complex of the New Mosque (Yeni Cami), the great mosque at the Eminönü end of the Galata Bridge, and its rents paid for the mosque's upkeep. For centuries it was the city's centre for spices, medicinal herbs and apothecary goods: herbalists made up their remedies here, and ships unloaded their cargo right outside.
It was restored in 2018, and today old and new sit side by side: a handful of long-established herbalists and coffee roasters next to shops aimed squarely at visitors. In the surrounding streets of Tahtakale and Hasırcılar, the real market carries on, and that's where the city's restaurants do their buying.
What to see and buy in the Spice Bazaar
Spices
Urfa pepper (isot), the dark, smoky chilli flakes from the south-east; sumac for salads; za'atar; cumin; dried mint; and pul biber (red pepper flakes). Spices are sold by weight, and the best shops let you smell them first. Anything sold as saffron at a bargain price is safflower: real saffron comes in tiny jars and is never cheap.
Sweets
Lokum (Turkish delight) with pistachio, walnut or rose, tahini halva, stuffed dried figs, dried apricots and fruit pastes. Ask to taste before you buy; it's perfectly normal. For baklava, you're better off at the long-established pastry shops, which I cover in my guide to Turkish sweets.
Teas and coffee
Black tea from Rize, fruit teas (pomegranate is the bestseller, and the one with the least actual tea in it), sage and linden. Freshly ground Turkish coffee comes from the historic roasters in the next street, where the queue of locals tells you all you need to know.
Cheese, olives and pickles
On the outer side of the market, towards Tahtakale, you'll find cheeses from Kars and Van, olives from the Aegean, pastırma (air-dried beef coated in a fenugreek paste) and sucuk (spiced beef sausage). This is the most authentic part of the market, and the cheapest.
The plant and pet market
In the outer courtyard, beside the New Mosque, stalls sell seeds, plants, birds and even leeches for traditional remedies. It's worth a look even if you don't buy anything.
Tips for your visit
An hour is enough, a little longer if you're shopping. The market is covered, so it works well on a rainy day.
- On anything sold by weight, haggle in moderation (aim for 10 to 20 per cent off), and ask for the price per kilo before they start filling the bag.
- The shops on Hasırcılar Street, behind the market, sell the same things for less, and with less of the sales patter.
- Vacuum-packed spices travel well; cheese and pickles don't, so buy those on your last day. Check your own country's rules on bringing food home, too: meat and dairy products are often restricted.
- Early morning is the quietest time; on Saturday afternoons it's shoulder to shoulder.
Admission
Entry is free and there's no ticket. On the Istanbul shopping tour, your guide goes into the shops with you, translates, negotiates and tells you when the price is fair.
Where it is and how to get there
The bazaar is in Eminönü, next to the New Mosque and opposite the piers for the city ferries and the Bosphorus cruise. The Eminönü tram stop is a minute away, and from Sultanahmet it's a 15-minute walk downhill.
Visiting it on my tours
It's a stop on the Istanbul shopping tour, along with the Grand Bazaar and the craft workshops, and it features on many of my walks around the historic peninsula. Before you go, read what to buy in Türkiye to find out what's really worth taking home.
If you'd like a guided morning in the markets, tell me about it through the tailor-made trip form.