Arasta Bazaar

I really like buying things at Arasta Bazaar because it's calmer, smaller and more premium than the Grand Bazaar. It’s a curated set of about 80 shops with the types of things I like to buy, including flat-weave Turkish towels & blankets in a range of pretty colors, pillow covers, tiles & ceramics, handbags and jewelry. The setting in the old stables is very pretty. As a bonus, while shopping here, we stumbled upon the lovely Museum of Great Palace Mosaics which is located underground from the bazaar.

The Turkish towels and other textiles are amazing. I’m so glad I bought them. Also, the soap is divine! I bought two bars of oatmeal soap and the first one has lasted 3 months. Wished I’d bought more of everything. We are sold on ATA textiles forever.

Although there are still some touts that lurk in the shadows in this bazaar, the quality of the shops is much better than that in the Grand Bazaar. We sought out the shops in which there was little pressure, and ending up coming home with some wonderful pieces at fair prices.

Beautiful Bazaar… I got some Turkish Delights from Arasta Bazaar (Pasalar Diamond) and ended up not being such a delight after all. Who charges £255 for a box of them and a box of baclavas and four little bags of tea? Well a shop at the Arasta Bazaar does and who pays fo it? I did… 😔

Be careful of the first spice shop on the left, when you enter from south. They are very polite, gives you tea to taste and make nice small talk. And they are very eager for you to pay with card. When you pay with card you may not understand how much you really are paying. We almost ended up paying 180 euros for our tea. But when you start counting the cash, you understand you are beeing "robbed" Overpriced, beautiful things in many shops.