Aah, the Grand Bazaar. Today I fulfilled one of my dreams of Istanbul with a visit to the heart of the city: the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque (outside), Aya Sophia (outside), the Grand Bazaar, and the Spice Bazaar.
The Grand Bazaar is like most malls, packed with shops with items of all description that tourists and locals alike might be talked into buying. The difference is, there are over 6,000 stores in this place. No kidding. It dwarfs even the Mall of America, and I should know, I spent enough of my teen years there.
We went with the headmaster's wife, Tania, who led us through the giant maze with expert ease, showing us how to spot a bargain and how to spot a ripoff. We were then given a lesson on rugs by Hasan, one of the owners of Adnan & Hasan Anatolian Carpets and Kilims (go to
http://www.adnanandhasan.com/ for more information).
He spent an hour explaining the various materials, weaving techniques, motifs, pricing, regions, dyes, and everything else you could ever want to know about carpets, kilims, and other textiles. He gave us amazing discounts because he has been friends with Tania and her husband for many years and they have brought him a great deal of business. Mom and dad, he awaits your arrival and will ship to the U.S. for you. I spent 250ytl (about $200) on a one-of-a-kind antique kilim that he is going to prepare for hanging on my wall; it was made from an old-fashioned grain sack that Hasan aquired after much effort in his travels around Anatolia and beyond. These are no longer made anywhere in the world, and mine is truly unique because it is made solely from the kilim weaving technique.
We had lunch at a small cafe in the Grand Bazaar and then wandered down an equally commericalized alleyway on our way to the Spice Bazaar, trying not to make eye contact with the hundreds of vendors trying to get our attention.
We could smell the spices long before we could see the building; curries and peppers and every spice you can imagine filled the air in a warm, wonderful blend that wasn't nearly as overpowering as I had expected.
Ataturk's image follows me everywhere here; they even had a picture of him outside the public toilet (which did have a seat and a flusher, for those keeping track). I will have to go back on my own sometime so I don't get held back by the people I'm with; my boss's wife is a stop-and-shop-whenever-possible kind of person and I am not. It was an awesome experience, though, taking the ferry past Topkapi and Sultanahmet, the crowded tram to the top of the hill near the Hippodrome, and the bus home past both run-down and well-kept yalis and intact palaces such as Dolmabace and Ciragan. What a day.
The Grand Bazaar is like most malls, packed with shops with items of all description that tourists and locals alike might be talked into buying. The difference is, there are over 6,000 stores in this place. No kidding. It dwarfs even the Mall of America, and I should know, I spent enough of my teen years there.
We went with the headmaster's wife, Tania, who led us through the giant maze with expert ease, showing us how to spot a bargain and how to spot a ripoff. We were then given a lesson on rugs by Hasan, one of the owners of Adnan & Hasan Anatolian Carpets and Kilims (go to http://www.adnanandhasan.com/ for more information).
He spent an hour explaining the various materials, weaving techniques, motifs, pricing, regions, dyes, and everything else you could ever want to know about carpets, kilims, and other textiles. He gave us amazing discounts because he has been friends with Tania and her husband for many years and they have brought him a great deal of business. Mom and dad, he awaits your arrival and will ship to the U.S. for you. I spent 250ytl (about $200) on a one-of-a-kind antique kilim that he is going to prepare for hanging on my wall; it was made from an old-fashioned grain sack that Hasan aquired after much effort in his travels around Anatolia and beyond. These are no longer made anywhere in the world, and mine is truly unique because it is made solely from the kilim weaving technique.
We had lunch at a small cafe in the Grand Bazaar and then wandered down an equally commericalized alleyway on our way to the Spice Bazaar, trying not to make eye contact with the hundreds of vendors trying to get our attention.
We could smell the spices long before we could see the building; curries and peppers and every spice you can imagine filled the air in a warm, wonderful blend that wasn't nearly as overpowering as I had expected.
Ataturk's image follows me everywhere here; they even had a picture of him outside the public toilet (which did have a seat and a flusher, for those keeping track). I will have to go back on my own sometime so I don't get held back by the people I'm with; my boss's wife is a stop-and-shop-whenever-possible kind of person and I am not. It was an awesome experience, though, taking the ferry past Topkapi and Sultanahmet, the crowded tram to the top of the hill near the Hippodrome, and the bus home past both run-down and well-kept yalis and intact palaces such as Dolmabace and Ciragan. What a day.
1 comment:
Karla,
Alan passed your blog onto us. So glad you're having this adventure! Love it when the kids TRY to follow in the parents footsteps!
Soak everything in and continue to pass on all this exciting info....
xo...aunt lynn
Post a Comment