Stop and smell the cinnamon! Check out Istanbul’s amazing Spice Market.
The smell of Indian curry and red pepper hangs in the air. A mixture of Turkish and English wafts across the aisle. “Lady, the best pepper is here, the guy over there has rubbish.” Calls and smells such as these fill this long “L” shaped market, located in the Fatih neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey. I am in the spice market. Much smaller than its more popular cousin, the Grand Bazaar, the spice market has the same raging mercantilism (haggling is not just common, but expected), but is much more aromatic.
The Külliye with all the shops. It is usually very crowded.
The spice market is located in a rented corridor, or “Külliye,” of a mosque; originally, the shop rents were intended to pay for the upkeep of this house of worship. Completed in 1660, it was known as the Egyptian Bazaar, and still retains that nickname. But today’s spice market cannot be restricted to one nation; today visitors can find spices from all over the world.
All the spices and teas you can think of are sold in the market, including chicken and meatball spices.
The selection is endless, most shops carry the essentials, such as various forms of pepper or curry powder. Other shops carry more rare and expensive spices or different varieties. Just at one shop, one can find mint, chili powder, sumac, cumin, curry and at least five different kinds of pepper and the oddly named, Fish Spice. The market now also features other food items. One can find not only spices, but dried fruits, cheeses, sausages, jams, nuts and seeds, Turkish Delight, and other edibles, including Russian caviar. There are stands where you can buy Chinese tea, or beans for the strong Turkish coffee. Some of the teas have interesting names such as Love Tea, or Energy Tea and the more common, Rose Tea.
More recently, some new shops have moved in selling locally made goods, and of course, regular old souvenir shops. At these shops, you can find, locally crafted Turkish porcelain, traditional costumes, embroidered fabric, and of course, the essential Turkish coffee pot and cup, much needed for a decent Turkish coffee. There are mixed feelings from the locals on this change. Some arguably feel these shops are ruining the feel of the market and belong back in the Grand Bazaar.
Handcrafted lamps, one of the many different locally made items to be found here. I really want one of these lamps.
Other items include traditional shoes. So very colorful.
Can’t have tea without a decorative tea pot. Some of these are also used for serving coffee.
Istanbul is chock-full of overly friendly salesmen. Most are charming and will try to talk you into buying from them, including this guy:
This guy was just way too photogenic.
Whatever the case, Istanbul’s Spice Market is definitely worth the visit.
Check out my other posts on Turkey!
