Our Egyptian Bazaar Adventure: Scoring a Steal on Tea for 20,000 Rubles - What Else Can You Find There?
check_circlePros
- Unbeatable prices – I scored a steal on tea for 20,000 rubles
- Massive selection of goods, from spices to jewelry
- Unique shopping experience, with shops and stalls set up in the streets
- Friendly vendors who are happy to haggle
- Amazing value for money – you can find some real bargains
cancelCons
- Can be overwhelming, with so many stalls and shops to navigate
- Some vendors may try to overcharge tourists
- Be prepared for some serious haggling – it's all part of the fun!
- The market can get very crowded, especially during peak season
- Some of the goods on offer may not be of the highest quality
Editor's Summary
I just got back from the Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul, and I'm still reeling from the experience. This place is a total game changer – I'd heard it was cheaper than the Grand Bazaar, but the sheer variety of goods on offer blew me away. From colorful spices to intricate jewelry, I spent hours browsing the stalls and finding new treasures in my suitcase. If you're looking for a unique shopping experience, the Egyptian Bazaar is a must-visit. Just be prepared for some serious haggling – it's all part of the fun! The market's laid-back vibe and friendly vendors made it easy to navigate, even for a first-timer like me. I scored a steal on tea for 20,000 rubles, and I'm still finding new ways to use it. The Egyptian Bazaar is a hidden gem in Istanbul's old town, and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it.", "pros": [ "Unbeatable prices – I scored a steal on tea for 20,000 rubles", "Massive selection of goods, from spices to jewelry", "Unique shopping experience, with shops and stalls set up in the streets", "Friendly vendors who are happy to haggle", "Amazing value for money – you can find some real bargains", "Laid-back vibe makes it easy to navigate, even for a first-timer" ], "cons": [ "Can be overwhelming, with so many stalls and shops to navigate", "Some vendors may try to overcharge tourists", "Be prepared for some serious haggling – it's all part of the fun!", "The market can get very crowded, especially during peak season", "Some of the goods on offer may not be of the highest quality", "Credit card acceptance can be spotty, so it's best to have cash on hand" ], "faq": [ { "question": "What is the Egyptian Bazaar, and how is it different from the Grand Bazaar?", "answer": "The Egyptian Bazaar is a massive market in Istanbul's old town, known for its unique layout and wide range of goods on offer. Unlike the Grand Bazaar, which is a more traditional covered market, the Egyptian Bazaar has shops and stalls set up in the streets themselves." }, { "question": "How do I get to the Egyptian Bazaar from the city center?", "answer": "The easiest way to get to the Egyptian Bazaar is by taking the metro – it's just two short stops from the city center. From there, it's a short walk to the market." }, { "question": "What kind of goods can I find at the Egyptian Bazaar?", "answer": "The Egyptian Bazaar has a wide range of goods on offer, including colorful spices, intricate jewelry, and unique souvenirs. You can also find some great deals on tea and other local specialties." }, { "question": "Are the vendors at the Egyptian Bazaar friendly and helpful?", "answer": "Yes, the vendors at the Egyptian Bazaar are generally very friendly and happy to help. They may try to haggle with you, but it's all part of the fun – just be prepared to negotiate!" }, { "question": "Is the Egyptian Bazaar a good place to buy souvenirs?", "answer": "Yes, the Egyptian Bazaar is a great place to buy unique souvenirs – you can find some amazing deals on local specialties like tea, spices, and jewelry." }, { "question": "Can I use credit cards at the Egyptian Bazaar?", "answer": "Some vendors at the Egyptian Bazaar may accept credit cards, but it's not always reliable. It's best to have some cash on hand to be safe." }, { "question": "Is the Egyptian Bazaar open every day?", "answer": "The Egyptian Bazaar is open every day, but it's worth noting that some vendors may not be open on Sundays or during peak holiday seasons." }, { "question": "Can I get a refund if I'm not satisfied with my purchase?", "answer": "Some vendors at the Egyptian Bazaar may offer refunds or exchanges, but it's not always guaranteed. Be sure to check with the vendor before making a purchase." ], "meta_title": "Egyptian Bazaar Review: Unique Shopping Experience in Istanbul", "meta_description": "Discover the secrets of the Egyptian Bazaar, a hidden gem in Istanbul's old town. Find out how to get there, what to buy, and how to haggle like a pro.", "og_title": "Egyptian Bazaar: A Must-Visit Destination in Istanbul", "og_description": "Get ready to shop 'til you drop at the Egyptian Bazaar, a unique and fascinating market in Istanbul's old town.
Specifications
Hello everyone, and welcome back to my review!
We recently visited Turkey and had the chance to explore the amazing city of Istanbul. Of course, we couldn't miss out on the Egyptian Bazaar!
I'd done some research beforehand and many people mentioned that the Egyptian Bazaar was cheaper than the Grand Bazaar. So, we had to check it out for ourselves.
We took the metro to get there, which was only two short stops. But, we ended up walking back because the stations were so short.
So, what is the Egyptian Bazaar? It's a massive market with tons of little streets and alleys. Unlike the usual market layout, this one has shops and stalls set up in the streets themselves. There are some familiar-looking stalls, but also shops in buildings. It's really crowded, so I didn't take as many photos as I would have liked.
Of course, there are a lot of repeated stalls with similar products. I think the prices get higher the closer you get to the entrance.
There are tons of different nuts, local sweets, chestnuts, and other treats.
I'm a total jewelry addict, and I just had to check out this shop. I saw it from a distance, and my eyes lit up. My husband just laughed and said, 'come on, let's go check it out!' He knows my love for jewelry.
The prices for jewelry at the Egyptian Bazaar are probably only comparable to AliExpress. Look at this – 60 lira (180 rubles) for some pretty cool pieces, and then there are these bright little earrings for 30 lira (90 rubles). But, as a sneaky shopper, I didn't take any more photos – I was too busy browsing and looking for something interesting to buy.
I ended up buying this set for my friend's daughter. And the best part? It only cost 45 rubles! It's amazing deals like these that I haven't seen in a long time.
But, in the end, I didn't buy anything for myself. I'm a fan of unique earrings or long ones, but they didn't have any like that. Oh well, the Turks are a modest bunch!
These sets of hair clips are 360 rubles. It's another great gift idea for kids from Istanbul. They're colorful, and there's even a cute little purse!
As someone who works with flowers, I was really interested in seeing what kind of bouquets and flowers were available. And, it turns out that in Istanbul, it's not common to give live flowers as gifts. I only saw two places with live flowers, and the selection wasn't great. The quality of the flowers was also pretty poor, so I could tell they'd been sitting around for a while.
I stumbled upon a tiny shop on the market where some local girls were picking out bouquets of dried flowers!
It was mostly artificial flowers, with a few stabilized ones and some dried flowers. That's not really our thing, since we don't usually give bouquets of fake flowers.
But just look at how beautiful they are! The quality of these flowers is really good, and even a non-flower person like me wouldn't know they're not real. I didn't even bother asking the prices, I was too afraid of having a heart attack either way – it would be either way too expensive or way too cheap.
And of course, there are shops selling all sorts of souvenirs – mugs, cups, magnets, tea sets, and more. That's when I noticed that they had banknotes from different countries stuck to the shelves. And guess what? We had our own 100 ruble, 5 ruble, and 50 ruble notes there too. I really wanted to contribute, so I left some money in the shop instead of the fountain.
We gave the shop owner 200 rubles for his collection, and he immediately stuck it up on the wall with some tape. Now, whenever you see that, you'll know it was us! They even gave us a small discount as a thank you. It's a small thing, but it's nice.
There's an insane variety of pickled goods, and many of them are sold in huge bags or bundles.
By the way, many shops are closed on Mondays and Sundays. It's not just the Egyptian bazaar – the pharmacy near our hotel was closed on Monday too. And it's not just that one street, even the busiest street in Cairo, Iyastiqli, has shops that are closed. It's like Arbat in Moscow, where you'd never close a shop, let alone in a crowded area!
So, when you're walking through the Egyptian bazaar, you might stumble upon an empty street with closed shops.
And just around the corner, there's a whole different story – it's bustling with people! There are tons of people, but if you turn the corner, it's dead quiet.
Okay, now let's move on to the topic that's been on everyone's mind!
We accidentally bought tea in Istanbul for 20,000 rubles.
We approached the counter, where there were cute little plates, and I wanted to buy them as a gift for my family. I didn't see the price tag and was about to leave, but the salesperson told me it was 100 lira. (That's not expensive, I saw it for 150 lira in another store, and the quality wasn't great.) That's when we fell for the charming salesperson!
To pay, we had to go inside, and oh my god, the aroma was amazing! My eyes widened at the sight of all the teas and sweets!
I couldn't help but get lost in the beauty of it all. While I was admiring the teas, the second salesperson brought over a small cup with a wonderful fruit aroma. I tried it, and it was so delicious! It was sweet with a hint of tartness. Of course, it was a clever move on the salesperson's part.) I asked what it was.
This is a natural tea, it's sugar-free, and instead of sugar, it uses stevia. There are different flavors, such as fruit, lemon-ginger, kiwi, mango, and blueberry.
I wanted to try the lemon-ginger tea, and of course, they didn't refuse me. I liked it too, it was sweet with a hint of tartness and a distant ginger flavor. I even got a lemon peel!
The salesperson even offered me a few other flavors to try. And I fell in love with this tea, it's delicious and rich! You can really taste the flavor of the fruit or berry that's in it. I tried almost all of them, and the salesperson didn't refuse me, feeling like the fish was hooked!At some point, my husband had two cups in his hands, and the salesperson decided to treat us to a sweet treat (I don't remember the name, there were so many options). The salesperson didn't bat an eye and put the treat right into his mouth (he was wearing gloves, which he used to pick up the treat). How could I not melt at that point?)
Since the tea was so amazing, and it's sugar-free (which is great for my friends and me who are trying to reduce our sugar intake), I decided to buy some! I picked out a flavor for each of them that I thought they'd like best. The salesperson cleverly packed everything into little packets, and instead of 100 grams, they were 400-500 grams each. And now I'm happy, I've got six different packets of tea, and I think I might need to get a few more. The salesperson quickly weighed everything, calculated the total on his calculator... And that's when we were blown away...
I'm reminded that prices are in lira! Multiply by three, and we get around 20,000 with a bit to spare. And, I guess we're to blame, the price was clearly marked on the price tag, and we could've asked them to weigh it lighter. But, that's just how it went down. We thought about backing out first, but the seller started saying he'd vacuum-sealed it, and it couldn't be re-vacuumed (we know that's not True). So, we just decided to buy it, and that was that!
Attention! Now, let's take a look at what 20,000 rubles looks like in the form of exotic tea
Pa bam!
We thought for sure we'd get stopped at customs, haha! The little packets looked super suspicious. But, everything was fine, no one asked any questions. We returned with the tea without a hitch.
Do we regret this purchase? Nope. We messed up, and that's that. But, the people we gave the tea to were super impressed, maybe because they know the value of this tea? We'll be more careful with our purchases in other countries from now on!
After a couple of days, we headed back to the Egyptian market, ready to spend another million bucks. My keds couldn't take it, and they literally fell apart. I picked up some amazing shoes for 1800 rubles, similar to Jordans. There are tons of places to shop, if you want to pick up something, go inside the market and look for the stalls with price tags. They've got big signs saying 'Everything's 500, 600, and so on, lira.' We went to one stall without price tags, and they quoted me 1000 lira (3000 rubles) for the shoes! I said thanks and started to leave, but the seller offered me 800 lira instead. It's like they knew we were tourists and tried to scam us. I ended up buying the same shoes for 1800 rubles, and there's a huge difference in price! They're identical, no differences at all!
Clothes were also on the menu, and the prices were pretty middle-of-the-road. I wouldn't say it's super expensive, but it's not cheap either. I think if you browse around a bit, you can find some decent deals. We stumbled upon a super dark alley, and the socks were 5 pairs for around 250 rubles. They're good quality, not those flimsy ones that fall apart after a day.
Shopping tips for the Egyptian market
Don't go into stalls without price tags, or ask the price and then browse around some more to compareIf you're buying something by weight, take one item and ask the price right awayDon't buy the first thing you see, browse around and compare prices – often the same item is cheaper at a different stallWhen buying something by weight, specify exactly how much you want, or they'll give you way too much.
And, as per popular demand, here's the tea that costs as much as a plane ticket 😊, with a mango flavor. It's this delicate, peach-colored powder with a light, sweet aroma
I add a heaping teaspoon of this powder to my tea, and you can add more if you want a stronger flavor.
The result is a bright, aromatic drink with a really noticeable mango flavor, plus a nice tanginess. And the best part is that it's sweetened with stevia instead of sugar – just the right amount of sweetness, not too overpowering or cloying. I'm really enjoying the drinks my friends sent me, courtesy of their kindness)
That's what it's like to visit an Egyptian bazaar – a real adventure!
I wish you all the best on your travels!
