Discover the spectacular Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

DW (English)

DW takes you on a tour of the amazing architecture and labyrinth streets of Turkey's Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and biggest markets in the world.

Transcript

00:00The Qapala Çarşı, as it's known in Turkish, is far more than a covered market.

00:05It's a city within a city, with more than 60 lanes and some 3,600 shops run by 25,000 people.

00:15All told, 21 gates lead into the bazaar.

00:20It's a little overwhelming at times because there's just a lot of noise and people,

00:24but I think it's super cool that you can find so many different kinds of things in one place.

00:29I like the sense of the people that work here. They are very nice and friendly.

00:35It's where Europe meets Asia a bit, and you feel like a lot of, yeah, of course, Ottoman culture

00:41mixing with like the Catholic culture, and it's all good. Everyone is okay with it.

00:50Everything that might tempt a tourist can be found here, from carpets

00:55to designer brands, whether genuine or fake,

00:59to spices and souvenirs that you would never have dreamt of buying before visiting the bazaar.

01:08Well, I did buy this tote bag, so that's one purchase. I bought a Turkish towel.

01:14This is Tommy Hilfiger, and they have it in Louis Vuitton.

01:19They have Nikes. They have Christian Dior.

01:23Oh, I bought some coasters.

01:27Is this real diamond?

01:30Candle holders and some tea for my mom.

01:34Now I'm still shopping, you know?

01:37Our team, too, is ready for the shopping challenge.

01:40Who can get more for 300 Turkish lira?

01:44All will be revealed later.

01:50Every store in the bazaar has a history.

01:53Hashim Göreli has witnessed five decades at the Kapala Çarşı.

01:59My father, he started to bring me this shop when I was three years old.

02:03And now I am 55, and I grow up with the carpet.

02:08We say, grow up with the carpet dust, you know?

02:11What's the meaning of the bazaar to me, you know?

02:14My world.

02:16His carpets come from all over Turkey.

02:19Each woven and knotted pattern has its own meaning.

02:23Every region has its own color, its own design.

02:26Look, this is, you see, running water, symbolizing life.

02:30Here, you see inside, this is blue, this is red, this is eye.

02:35Eye to protection, you know, like from the bad eyes.

02:39The bazaar dates back to the 15th century,

02:42when Sultan Mehmed II founded it after the conquest of Constantinople.

02:48The market was initially built for trading textiles and jewelry.

02:55Over the centuries, it grew into a global commercial hub

02:59in what is now known as Istanbul.

03:03There are no official figures,

03:05but it's estimated that 400,000 people visit the bazaar every day.

03:10This makes the Kapala Çarşı one of Istanbul's most popular landmarks.

03:21Time for the team challenge, reporter versus cameraman.

03:24Each has three minutes to answer the question.

03:28Time for the team challenge, reporter versus cameraman.

03:31Each has 300 lira, about nine euros.

03:58So...

04:00Could I get, like, five for 300?

04:06I only have 300.

04:10That was really easy.

04:12Or maybe six?

04:16250.

04:18I only have 240.

04:22We have a deal.

04:23Thank you. We got a good deal.

04:25Most of people know that you are tourists, you know?

04:27You're asking the price, and they're telling you, like, 50, 100 more.

04:32Because they know you guys got a negotiation, because it's tradition in Turkey.

04:36Our reporter got five small bowls.

04:38Our cameraman got a bottle opener and a candle holder.

04:42I think I won.

04:46What do you think? Who haggled the best?

04:48Our tip? Don't buy right away.

04:51Compare prices first.

04:53But in the Grand Bazaar, we can't promise that you'll be able to find the store again.

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