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old Ottoman hans—as well as a restaurant, a teahouse, several lunch counters, a bank, and a public toilet, altogether employing more than twenty thousand people. Though it seems a veritable labyrinth, Freely says, “the bazaar is laid out on a fairly regular rectangular grid, at the center of which is the Old Bedesten, one of Fatih’s original buildings, where the most expensive goods were securely kept. Shops selling the same kinds of goods tend to be concentrated in the same areas, and the streets are named after the various guilds that did business there in Ottoman times.” An aerial view of the bazaar would reveal that the Inner Bedesten is covered by fifteen domes, and the New (or Sandal) Bedesten is covered by twenty.

A visit to the bazaar is much more than a shopping trip. Erin Cullen, in Time Out Istanbul, writes, “Entrance to the bazaar is an awe-inspiring experience regardless of how many times you cross the threshold.… Take some time to savor the history and the architecture of the bazaar which are spectacles in their own right.” And Eric Lawlor, in Looking for Osman, says, “The bazaar made me a believer. Looking much as they did two centuries ago, its vaulted passageways weave back and forth like the splendid arabesques in Turkey’s mosques. Brodsky called this place the heart, the mind, the soul of Istanbul. And one doesn’t doubt it. Here, the city seems at its most uninhibited, seems most itself.”

My words of advice about the Kapalı Çarşı, whether you are a first or repeat visitor, are: It will always take longer than you think (because it’s interesting!) to walk around the market, so don’t plan your schedule too tightly on the day(s) you plan to visit. The vendors in the bedestens generally have more interesting and unique stuff, so even if you see items you like in the lanes close to the entranceways, don’t buy them right away—you can always come back. Adrenaline can run high in the bazaar: remember to pace your outing by taking a break for something to eat and drink (I’m a fan of the Fes Café and the Bedesten Café & Pâtisserie)—this is especially important if there is someone with you who really doesn’t want to be in the bazaar (though it’s hard for me to imagine that anyone wouldn’t find a visit enjoyable). Remember that there is only one public bathroom, with an attendant you must pay; some stalls have regular flush toilets and others are Turkish toilets (see Turkish toilets entry, page 580). Have fun! Buying a souvenir at the bazaar, for you or someone else, and sharing a cup of tea with a vendor, is much more fun and memorable than buying something from a retail store.

Here are some vendors I particularly like that are selling items not readily found outside of Turkey:

Abdulla (Halıcılar Caddesi 62 / +90 212 527 3684 / abdulla.com; second location at Ali Baba Türbesi Sokak 25/27, Nuruosmaniye / +90 212 526 3070). I would have stepped inside of Abdulla even if I hadn’t read about it in advance. The entranceway is filled with a curtain of hanging beads, and it reminded me of when Greg Brady had hanging beads in his doorway when he turned Mike’s study into a hip bedroom. But you don’t have to be a fan of The Brady Bunch to love Abdulla, which specializes in natural-made home products such as towels, sheets, and hamam items: a peştemal (the cotton towel you wrap around yourself), soap (lots of appealing soap-on-a-rope varieties, and others packaged in a fez container), kese (a mitt made from handspun linen yarn indigenous to the Black Sea Kastamonu region), and metal bowls (for pouring water over your body). All the weavings are woven on hand looms and dyed with all-natural ingredients … and they’re wonderful. All purchases are wrapped up in simple brown paper secured with twine and beads. I’ve found that the peştemals also work as tablecloths, and are great for the beach. Owner Metin Tosun (who owns Fes Café right next door) also stocks olive oil and beautiful, rare textiles from Anatolia that collectors especially like. Many are silk; Yeliz Altın, a very knowledgeable and kind associate at the shop,