Istanbul's Grand Bazaar with Kids
Of all the ideas I got from friends, family, and folks on the internet, the Grand Bazaar was by far the most frequently recommended place for me to take my kids in Istanbul. Perhaps it is because the Bazaar is so iconic, or perhaps it's because it is easy to bribe your way through an attraction that is filled with eye catching trinkets. In any case, I cannot imagine visiting Istanbul without visiting the historic marketplace
According to Wikipedia, the "Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops." Walking through the brick-arched labyrinth can feel overwhelming if you've never visited this type of market before, and almost every guidebook has a suggested route and favorite shops.
We were more interested in taking in the sites than making a purchase, so we wandered through the market, turning down the passageways that looked most interesting and following our whim. The market was surprisingly sparkling, it seemed like cleaning was almost constant. In fact, the only real refuse we saw was the pleasant litter of discarded tea glasses, waiting for the tea seller to pick them up and return with full glasses that each shopkeeper seemed to have in his hand.
While you can certainly find cheap keychains in the Grand Bazaar, in general, the quality of the merchandise is very high, and the we all loved checking out the handmade artworks that lined each street. The kids did surprisingly little begging for goodies - I don't know whether it was because there was just so much to take in, or because most of the items were practical, but it certainly wasn't for lack of beauty.
When their legs finally gave in, we sat down for a snack, and this was perhaps my favorite part of the day. Sitting here, I finally had a chance to take in what was around me, chatter happily with my kids about their purchases (stone models of their favorite Istanbul attraction, the Blue Mosque), and sip hot milk with honey.
5 comments |
Posted on June 22, 2010 |
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Aviva Brandt on June 22, 2010 at 2:57 p.m.
I just finished reading the book The Historian (which I have mixed feelings about whether it was worth reading or not), but the thing I came away with the most was a burning desire to visit Istanbul and other places in that part of the world.
I've been subscribing to your blog for ages now, but don't comment normally. I just wanted to say thanks for writing about these kinds of trips and especially for sharing your tips on doing it with young children. I'm not sure I'd have the courage to do it with three, including a baby, but clearly it shouldn't be such a big deal with my 5.5-year-old! Thank you for the inspiration to actually go to these places!!
lisa on June 22, 2010 at 8:27 p.m.
The pottery is amazing. What a beautiful set of pics.
How fabulous to visit such an interesting place.
Debbie on June 22, 2010 at 11:12 p.m.
Aviva, thanks so much for writing. Comments like yours make me feel so terrific - and really help me keep up the momentum to keep writing about our travels.
Several of my readers recommended reading "The Expat Harem" before I left for Turkey, and it was terrific - maybe you could fuel your interest with that book!
Bodie on July 20, 2010 at 9:54 p.m.
Loved the stuff you had on Istanbul here on your site. My wife and I are headed there for a month in September with our daughter who will be nearly two.
We are thinking about bringing a cheap umbrella stroller for her. Is that practical on most of the streets?
Debbie on July 23, 2010 at 1:27 a.m.
Bodie,
An umbrella stroller would work well everywhere but the old city - I'd go ahead and bring it along, you can always leave it in the hotel room on the days you don't need it.