Turkey for Christmas
The ancient streets and breath-taking architecture of Istanbul
offer an unusual destination for the discerning traveler wishing
to avoid the usual christmas
commercialism. It is also a great place to buy Christmas gifts.
Turkeys largest covered market, the Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi)
in Istanbul, offers excellent shopping and great bargains. The
range of beautiful objects available is quite breath-taking,
including silky Turkish carpets and kelim's, colorful and
pungent herbs and spices, sparkling crystal, glazed tiles and
pottery, copper and brassware, Turkish lamps, everything you can
think of made from leather, brightly colored cotton and wool
products, an array of Turkish costumes including authentic belly
dancing outfits, and many types of handmade musical instruments.
If you show any inclination to playing any of the instruments,
you will doubtless be dragged into the store and offered an
impromptu rendition of some obscure Turkish folk tune. Bear in
mind this is not purely a tourist area and plenty of local
people shop here too, giving the atmosphere a big dose of warm
and friendly authenticity.
The architecture and layout of the Grand Bazaar alone merits
attention. Forget your boot sale in a field, or rickety tables
in a church hall, this building is quite stunning in itself.
This is like no Bazaar you have ever been to before. The
interior is literally like Aladdin's cave. In fact, this is
probably where Aladdin got all his stuff! The building is packed
with literally hundreds of individual stalls, laid out in a
labyrinth of narrow aisles. Wares are gaudy and bright, and
strewn or hanging on every available area. Wafts of fresh spices
and herbs drift on the air, and eager vendors entreat you to
enter their lairs. But beware - brush up on your bargaining
skills as they are absolutely essential here. If you are in
negotiation with a shop owner, often you will be brought a glass
of hot sweet tea. This is a pleasing aspect of bargaining in
Turkey, but also an indicator of how long bargaining can take.
It is quite exhausting but well worth the effort to see as much
as you can of the Grand Bazaar. There are hundreds of shops, so
plan on spending several hours. There are plenty of bars and
cafes within it's walls, so you may sit and rest awhile. Instead
of the usual American coffee, why not try a chilled Irun?
(pronounced eye-run). It is a thin, slightly salty yogurt-y
drink, which is very refreshing.
So instead of having turkey for Christmas lunch, why not make
Turkey your destination for Christmas vacation this year.
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