Arasta Bazaar

Right behind the Blue Mosque, not as known as the Grand Bazaar, but better in my opinion (less hectic). Here, I had a much more relaxed visit to the shops. I also found a little shop selling (silver) Jewelry. The owner was very kind and not pushing us for buying at all costs. The name of the place is Doruk Art Gallery, I took a picture of the entrance. Here we found some lovely (silver) necklaces with a nazar 🧿. The price was very reasonable. I paid with card and the correct (agreed) price was charged, no hidden overcharges or other tricks. I recommend paying a visit.

The Arasta Bazaar is located behind the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, a nice historical bazaar now holds shops for tourists. As told by a local, that the Arasta Bazaar was previously used for traders who came from far and wide for their horses and transport.

SCAM . Loyaistanbul at No:23 . We walked in and the guy seemed very nice at first . He let us try everything we wanted and even lowered the price to what it sells it to the locals as he said , "removing the tourist price because of our Nationality(???)". In the end he asked us to give him 116 euro for 4 bugs of tea that were like 1kg max and 2 boxes of Turkish Delight. We managed to lower it to 80 but after the payment we realized that it was extremely overpriced. The shop is nowhere to be found on Maps and on social media has no activity at all

Lovely little market area right around the corner from the Blue Mosque. Found it a much nicer and more relaxed shopping experience than the Grand Bazaar (which to me was overwhelming). Many of the same items you would find there, maybe a few lira more for a few things (though not outrageous - many items the same price).

Running along the back of the Blue mosque is this rather lovely market (Bazaar), quite small however no where as hectic as the grand bazaar, definitely worth a visit when in the area.

We visited this market after we heard its cheaper and less chaotic then Grand Bazaar. But believe me, its not. Noone even wanted to bargain like at Grand Bazaar where everything was then 50 % cheaper. Its very small and you dont have big choice here, so yes less chaos it is. Opening times on google says it closes at 7pm. We were leaving from there at 9pm and they started to close down the shops.

I've visited Arasta Bazaar just a few days ago and I've been tricked in buying 3 small bags of tea with 300 EUROS - the place is called YASAR MUCEVHERAT, Zerdali Turkish Spice and Delight and it is situated at Arasta Bazaar No:56 (I am attaching also a picture with a visiting card). Please watch out when buying from this place items like tea, sweets & spices, they will trick you in paying with the card and they will overcharge you. Unfortunately, when I realized what happened, it was too late. Otherwise Arasta Bazaar is a very clean and quiet place, nice for visiting, but do not buy anything, it is a shame that Turkish vendors adopt such tricks to get money from relaxed tourists. Too bad Turkey does not respect its precious tourists more by preventing such things to happen. Because of this I will not visit Turkey the second time. It's happening in the other Bazaars also.

Place is just behind the Suleymani / Blue Mosque. Shops are well placed and organised but the price is a bit higher. Products are selective but compared to the nearby area price is higher. There are some special shops for some special items like vintage arts, paintings and crafts. Few eateries are there. Good thing is it is covered market so during rain you will be safe a bit.

My favorite Bazaar in Istanbul, situated near the Blue Mosque, easy to find, look for signs! I found it (read about it before) in my first day in Istanbul, checked it out and I like it on the spot. After visiting the crazy Grand Bazaar and the Spice/Egyptian Bazaar, I liked the Arasta even more. Why? It's small, but it has enough shops, far from crowded, you don't get hassled for Istanbul norms, the merchandise is more varied, better quality, reasonable prices. This is where we came daily and got gifts for family, friends, for ourselves, found cute souvenirs. More relaxed shopping atmosphere, there some restaurants around as well if you need a bite or a piece of baklava. Great bazaar, nice shopping experience, more fun and calmer!

I loved this small Bazaar near to the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque. It has a great assortment of shops with friendly shopkeepers. You can find most anything you want here and it is nowhere near as crowded as the Grand Bazaar. We visited almost every day just to browse and find some goodies here. We got scarves, Turkish delights, pottery and tiles and a few gifts for friends.

I been in several of Istanbul's bazaars. This is a great smaller one next to the Blue Mosque. It's not a huge maze. It's kinda like a bazaar in strip mall form. A single open air hall with no side alleys. The area is clean. The hall quite wide. It has the usual shops, yet seems a step up from the other bazaars. Spices, teas, shirt souvenirs, trinket souvenirs and baklava. Better Turkish linens and clothes are here. As well as higher end art galleries for rugs, pictures and glassware. Located a few steps from the Blue Mosque, it can be easily missed. The Mosaic Museum is located here. The sign can be a little tricky to see. But any shopkeeper will tell you the right turn to make to find it.

Very cool small bazaar near the Blue Mosque. Most of the shopkeepers speak English and there is a nice restaurant there too. They have a few jewelry stores and some shops for fake designer handbags. Lord of souvenirs.

Nice area in Istanbul to buy souvenirs, spices, silk/cashmere scarves, trinkets etc. nice outdoor restaurants and live venues. Enjoyed walking around and taking in the scenery.

Shop without any hassle A nice little bazaar. It's just one little street, but nicely done. It's open every day until the evening (we passed it always around 9pm - still open). There are the usual spice and turkish delight shops, but also lots of art and crafts shops. Many selling scarfs....but of higher quality with more interesting designs then other bazaars. The best part of it is, is the fact that it's hassle-free. You can roam around the area without being stopped every two seconds. Vendors here are friendly, good for a chat but not pushy. It's just a street away from the Blue Mosque....but seems to be overlooked a bit. We came here several times....it was always pretty empty. Too bad...

This was the best part of coming to blue mosque for me. It's right beside the mosque. I loved their scarfs. I should add two more "loved, loved". It's definitely a place to come to if you want scarves, don't want to be overwhelmed by crowds and want great quality. It's a tiny place though so don't expect a bazar bazar like I was expecting

Arasta Bazar is an absolute delight! I don't do well in a large crowd so this was a very refreshing experience compared to the Grand Bazar. It is very conveniently located behind Blue Mosque. I love all the little shops with their abundance of scarf and jewelry. I did all my shopping here. I miss you Istanbul!