In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) is free to enter and closed on Sundays. It has 11 gates, and its traders’ association counts 65 streets and about 3,600 shops under one roof, so a plan beats wandering. The Spice Bazaar is a separate market at Eminönü, near the ferry piers. The Australian government says crime is more common in both bazaars and that carpet-trader scams are common. Or book a tour: Istanbul Odyssey’s rooftops and passages tourad is from €26 and takes 2 to 2.5 hours.
Getting in and when to go
There is nothing to book. The bazaar is a covered market, and each of its eleven gates opens onto a street named for a trade.
The Nuruosmaniye gate of the Grand Bazaar. Photo: Ank Kumar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Closed: Sundays.
- Gates: Beyazıt, Çarşıkapı, Çuhacıhan, Kuyumcular, Mahmutpaşa, Nuruosmaniye, Örücüler, Sepetçihan, Takkeciler, Tavukpazarı and Zenneciler. The list is the Grand Bazaar Traders’ Association’s, on its site.
- Getting there: the T1 tram stops at Çemberlitaş and at Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı, both a short walk from a gate, and the Nuruosmaniye Mosque stands beside the Nuruosmaniye gate. From Sultanahmet it is a short tram ride or a walk up Divan Yolu.
- Contact: the association is in the Sorguçlu Han in Kalpakçılar Caddesi, +90 212 519 12 48.
Tours worth paying for
The market has no ticket, so a tour pays for a route through the 65 streets and for what a guide knows about the hans and the roofs. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Rooftops and secret passages
From €26 · 2 to 2.5 hours · 496 reviews
Istanbul Grand Bazaar: From Rooftops to the Secret Passagesad by Istanbul Odyssey is a guided walk that includes entrance to rooftops, local tips and Turkish tea. The itinerary runs from Çemberlitaş past the Nuruosmaniye Mosque, through the Kalcılar, Zincirli and Sağır hans, to the bazaar.
Old City walk ending at the bazaar
From €15 · 2.5 hours · 47 reviews
Istanbul: Old City Orientation Walking Tourad by Real Istanbul Tours starts near the German Fountain, takes in the Hippodrome and the Blue Mosque, passes the Çemberlitaş Hamamı and finishes in the Grand Bazaar. It is in English.
What to see
The association gives 1461 as the year Mehmed II began building, and the first covered halls were the Cevahir and Sandal bedestens, built to bring income to Hagia Sophia. Today it covers 110,868 m², of which 45,000 m² is under cover, with 14 hans.
- The bedestens. The Cevahir and Sandal bedestens are the stone-vaulted halls at the core. Sandal Bedesteni is also a street name inside.
- The streets named for trades. Halıcılar (carpet sellers), Kürkçüler (furriers), Kalpakçılar (hat makers), Altuncular (gold dealers) and Kavaflar (shoemakers) are among the 65. The name tells you what the street sold when it was named.
- The hans. Courtyards for merchants, among them the Zincirli, Sağır, Kalcılar and Sorguçlu hans, reached from the streets.
- The rooftops. The Istanbul Odyssey tour includes entrance to rooftops above the hans.
A covered street inside the Grand Bazaar. Photo: René Cortin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How long: the guided walks run 2 to 2.5 hours. The order: the rooftops tour walks from Çemberlitaş past the Nuruosmaniye Mosque and through the hans, and ends in the bazaar.
Practical information
- Safety: Smartraveller names the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar among the places where crime is more common, and says scams are common among carpet traders (Smartraveller, Türkiye). Istanbul scams has the rest.
- The Spice Bazaar: a separate covered market at Eminönü, beside the Galata Bridge and the ferry piers.
- Süleymaniye Mosque: a walk uphill from the Spice Bazaar; see free things to do in Istanbul.
- In crowds: Smartraveller advises particular care; keep bags closed and in front of you.
Combine it with the Sultanahmet sights: the Sultanahmet walk ends at the palace, and Istanbul Old City tours compares tours that finish at the bazaar. What to book before you go to Istanbul has the closed days for every sight. For a place to sleep close to it, see where to stay in Istanbul.
Common questions
Is the Grand Bazaar free to enter?
Yes. There is no admission charge; you walk in through any of its gates.
Is the Grand Bazaar open on Sundays?
No. It is closed on Sundays.
How big is the Grand Bazaar?
The Grand Bazaar Traders' Association counts 65 streets, about 3,600 shops and 14 hans (merchants' courtyards) on 110,868 m², of which 45,000 m² is under cover.
How many gates does the Grand Bazaar have?
Eleven: Beyazıt, Çarşıkapı, Çuhacıhan, Kuyumcular, Mahmutpaşa, Nuruosmaniye, Örücüler, Sepetçihan, Takkeciler, Tavukpazarı and Zenneciler.
When was the Grand Bazaar built?
The association gives 1461, when Mehmed II began construction, as its founding year. The bedestens, the stone-vaulted halls at its core, were built to bring income to Hagia Sophia.
Is the Grand Bazaar safe?
Smartraveller, the Australian government's travel advice, says crime is more common in the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, and that scams are common among carpet traders. Keep bags closed and in front of you.
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