Absolutely Bazaar

My first experience with a Bazaar was a terrible 80's night club on the waterfront in Bristol called Harpars Bazaar, I was 16 and the experience then was probably not far off the way you feel walking into the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. Great hordes of people everywhere bustling and jostling to buy things (fortunately not alco-pops or warm larger!) At the busiest time of the day you can't move for the people and the din is overwhelming, the guidebook says that there are between 300,000 and 400,000 visitors here a day!

I have been told that there are at least 4000 shops here, tucked away in a warren of passageways and tiny avenues. An amazing collection of goods adorns each shop front from stunning Turkish carpets, meerschaum pipes, copperware, intricate tiles, leather goods, jewelry as well as the typical Hookah or water pipe.

Every shop master sits outside his shop and accosts you just as you think you have made it clear and is desperate for you to come into his store and see his carpets or whatever, they are so polite and inoffensive that it is sometimes hard to decline, especially when they are offering you a wonderful cup of apple tea.

They are not pushy or intimidating but wonderfully gregarious, you feel that if you smile and respond politely, that, actually you don't have a house/apartment and so nowhere to put a 30m square rug, they seem happy with your rebuttal and let you pass.

One chap accosted Dad and not happy with his answer, that he didn't need to buy anything, immediately replied with "well come in to my shop and buy something you don't need!" The name of the game here is haggling and usually you can get people to come down to well under half price from their printed or starting price, but it may take some time and some deadpan stares. I found getting my cash out to pay and then walking away usually did the trick, as they could never allow you to leave once they saw the colour of your money and so you usually got what you wanted.

The Bazaar dates back from the 15th Century and was the brainchild Mehmed II 'the Conqueror' as a way of ensuring the successful commercial identity of this fabulous region – for me the whole experience of the place was a highlight to this wonderful city.