Memories of the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul
My weekend has been busy but fun with some commitments with friends. And I know it's Sunday and not Friday, but as the saying goes, better late than never, this is my participation in this week's #MarketFriday.
This week I'm sharing some memories of our visit to the Istanbul Spice Market on our trip to that city in December 2019.
Istanbul, among many other things, is famous for its great markets. And for me, a must-see is the Spice Market, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar. In Turkish, it is called Mısır Çarşısı. It is not as big as the Grand Bazaar, but I liked it more. We visited it on more than one occasion, as it was relatively close to Sirkeci, where we were staying. The bazaar is in Faith district.
Every time we passed by, the market was crowded. The building was made up of large roofed aisles with stores, some selling textiles, and a few jewelry stores.
But, above all, there were many stores selling spices, hence the name of the market, and also different types of tea and Turkish sweets.
At many of the stalls, as you walked through the aisles, they urged you to come in and try some. We, of course, wanted to buy a few things to bring home, but it was overwhelming between so many stalls to decide which one to enter. And then we arrived at Masala.
Shopping at Masala
My son and I were looking at the varieties of tea in front of a stall when one of the vendors approached asking if we wanted to smell a tasty fruit tea. He meant tea mixed with mango.
We were amused because mango grows almost everywhere here. The vendor spoke a little Spanish, he even said he had a Venezuelan friend. And yes, maybe it was part of his sales strategy, hehe.
And we went into the store while the husband stayed behind to take pictures and videos.
There were so many spices, and it was hard not to want to take them all. Also, it doesn't help that they try to sell them all to you, hehe.
But we opted to take some Baharat, which are spices blends. We bought some for seasoning meats, which I still miss these days because we ran out. Some to use in salads, and we brought one that we loved that went great with potatoes.
We also bought some tea. At the place, they gave us to try a tea called Love. It was quite sweet and very aromatic, and we liked it. But we brought home a very spicy one that was sold as an energizer and also a tea that was a mixture of matcha with eucalyptus. It was great for when you had a cold, and I would love to buy it again.
Then there was the Turkish Delight. And with them, I almost lost my mind.
And of course, we had to buy some to take home. And some to share with my sister-in-law and her family, who we would be visiting after our trip to Istanbul.
Turkish delicacies are exquisite and if you ever get a chance to try them, do it.
And they also had different varieties of coffee. We didn't buy any of these, even though I like Turkish coffee, I don't know how to make it.
We ended up buying much more than we thought, and we left loaded with spices, tea, and Turkish delicacies. And if at the time I doubted that we had perhaps overspent, looking back, everything we bought was worth it, and if I came back today, I would have let myself be carried away again by the shopping bug.
As for the prices, I do not remember how much we spent in total. But as a reference, the prices that appear in the photos are in Turkish Liras. And at that time, in December 2019, 1 dollar was equal to approximately 5.80 Turkish Liras.
This is my participation for this week's #MarketFriday started by @dswigle.
Thank you for reading.
All photos were taken during our visit to Istanbul in December 2019. Some are with an iPhone 7, and some are images taken from video clips with a Canon 60d.
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It is so cool to see so many varieties of spices. I am familiar with a few but I bet there are many I don't know. For instance, I have never heard of Baharat but I will look it up.
Baharat is like they called a blend of spices in some Middle Eastern countries. They use them for seasoning.
I wonder if the te de amor tastes great.. I would love to buy it if I visit this kind of place hehe.. So many spicies.. Do the scents stink in your clothes? 😅
The Amor tea tasted good. It is a sweet tea with berries and hibiscus flowers flavor. The market smells very nice, and I don't remember the clothes becoming stinky with the scents of the spices, hehe
Hehe. Coz I imagine curry and others that have a pungent smell..haha. I tried berry tea before and I like the flavor
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Ohhh the Spicy Bazar 😍 a maybe not as big as the Grand Bazar but very pleasant, full of scents and sweets like the Turkish delights! 😊
I loved it, and I think I enjoyed it much more than the Grand Bazaar.
Que ganas de volver a Estambul, jeje. Happy week, amiga!
Happy week! Pues sí, algún día 🙏 😉
What a wonderful moment in time @coquicoin! So many things, the adventure, the family all together, and wonderfully exotic spices! I love that part of the world, It has always been said the city of Istanbul bridges Asia and Europe both physically and culturally. Yes! You actually can be in Europe and Asia while visiting Istanbul! I thought that was fascinating and the only place in the world that is possible. It is true! Words fail me when I try to describe the city and all of its beauty, splendor, and just how nice the people were.
Your pictures are wonderful and your descriptions and words are very interesting! I have to agree that another trip to Istanbul is needed! (For both of us!) Turkish delight and Baharat. Living the life! I know you had an amazing time, although there are times I want the vendors to not always ask me to look or offer me things. I have just had to learn how to say no.
What an amazing trip and such a great experience. I hope you get to go back and get more spices. I loved the copper sets to put the spices in! What did you like most about Istanbul? Thank you for being a part of the challenge!
#MarketFriday began as a way to reach out across the globe and learn about different cultures through their markets, especially local markets and farmers' markets, and eventually branched out and evolved over time from straight shopping to a cultural affair as it highlights how we differ and then again, how much we are alike. We have become a melting pot of culture, but it is still the Rituals, Festivals, food, architecture, and even your language/languages that separate us... Along with the fact that these things are normal for us. There are unwritten rules that rule our social behaviors. I see this as allowing for increased tolerance between cultures and nations, and opportunities to come together on an even playing ground. A strong culture can be beneficial to a country as it promotes unity, especially during a crisis, peaceful debate, and open dialogue. I have learned so much about all of you and it has been an amazing experience. I can only hope that learning about each other can help us work together for a peaceful world. Thank you for being a part of #MarketFriday
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It is so true that it is difficult to find the words to describe Istanbul. I came back in love with the city. I found it fascinating, and beautiful. It has a mix of cultures and is full of history. I agree that we need another trip there for both of us, hehe.
The shopping experience in those markets can be a bit stressful, I don't like to feel pressured to shop and prefer to be left to my own to decide. But it's part of the experience.
What did I like most about the city? I think it's hard to circle something specific as it has so many wonders. Hagia Sophia is so imposing and impressive inside, with that mixture of religions. Of course, we would have to see how is the experience of the visit now that it is no longer a museum but a mosque. But I think what I liked the most was walking through the streets, full of people, the pulse of the city, so alive. I loved the Asian side although, without monuments to see, I liked to feel that indeed the city is a little different when you cross from one continent to the other.
And always my pleasure to join #Market Friday when I can. 😊🌸
I love spices and love spices sold in large open quantities like this!
The smells, the colours are just wonderfully wicked.
Turkish delight thought I often found a bit too sweet for me.
Of course I loved your hair Super Eli 🔷💙
For me, spices like this are like a feast for the senses.
I love Turkish delights but I like them in small doses hehe and the ones I like the most are the ones with halva as they are a little less sweet.
And thank you for the compliment on my hair, Mr charming rascal, Super Ed 🌀💙
Wow that is an amazing market my friend thanks for sharing have the best day
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The market is big and full of goods. You and your Son bought all that you need. Hope you still went home with some cash. Lol
Hehe, thank you for stopping by:)
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Turkey is one country I would love to visit, Istanbul especially! I would end up with overweight luggage, and overweight me! All those spices, teas, and tempting Turkish Delights, heaven on earth!
Lovely photos and memories Eli.
Gosh, and how the world changed the following year! Thank goodness you went then.
I hope you can visit it someday. It's a gorgeous city and the food is so good, I'm sure you'll love it.
And you are right, a few months after coming back the world turned upside down. Our trip was actually mainly to Spain to visit my sister-in-law and we traveled via Turkey since it was our best option in price, and we decided to stay a few days. It was the best decision.
For sure, I don't think any of us could have known what was in store for us, lovely memories!
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Wow - that looks fantastic - the roof is amazing ! And I'm glad you posted this, because we are planning to visit Istanbul later this year - so this place is on the list !!! If you have any other recommendations - that would be great (Hagia Sophia will also be on the list along with anything Roman).
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You will love Istanbul, the city is so wonderful. I would love to visit it again. I have made several posts about Istanbul. One of these days I will do one of those Peakd collections posts to have them all in one place ;)
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Ah! I LOVE seeing these photos. It just makes me want to be in the markets with you! I LOVE markets!
This is what I need today; I woke up with a head cold. Bummer you can't just transfer tea the way we can transfer tokens. !LOL Wouldn't that be cool?!
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I love Markets too
It would be so cool LOL But in the meantime hehe ;) you can make tea with fresh ginger and lemon, it helps to relieve the cold and sore throat.
I hope you feel better soon
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Oh, that's a good idea! Thank you 😊
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The Baharat blends sound delicious and the matcha with eucalyptus mix seem unique and flavorful. Thanks for sharing your memories with us 🌸
The sheleves of spices and that of sweets are arranged quite asthetically, aren't they?
Your post made me want to visit the place some day.
I have heard of Turkish Tea but I didn't know that they have a range of coffee too.
Thanks for sharing your experience with stunning photos
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I think it is also spectacular the way the species are put on display. And Turkish coffee is very tasty, different from what we are used to drinking here.
Thank you very much for stopping by😊
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Wow this is great
Wow, what an amazing place! I would love to visit there someday. !ALIVE
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Wow, you did a cool shopping and judging from your tenor you enjoyed it despite even overspending. That's the beauty of a good buy.
Wonderful trip thanks for sharing have the best day
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I can see many spices on display, no wonder the name of the market. Great shopping 🛒🛍️ experience friend.
Wao! You really had a nice time, it is such a sight seeing adventure with your son. Nice sharing this.
That is a truly astounding market! So many interesting and diverse things! I'd be overwhelmed most likely, especially with the spices. Thanks much for sharing! 😁 🙏 💚 ✨ 🤙
te digo que yo seria inmensamente feliz en ese lugar, lo único malo es que saldría con una alergia monumental. me volvería loca comorano de todo. es algo así como cuando voy a una tienda de hilos, aunque no quiero comprar nada me traigo de todo.
Jeje. ¡Si amiga, en ese lugar provocaba llevarse de todo!
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@coquicoin the photos are spectacular, the place inspires me smells and tastes.
I just remembered that when I read the book Perfume I had the same sensory acuity, my taste was reading along with my sight.
OMG... that Turkish delight though! It is enough to lose a mind over.
How was it??!
Beautiful post for #marketfriday, angel. What a place... wish list!
Sending love
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