One could visit Istanbul for the shopping alone. The Kapali Carsi or Covered Bazaar, in the old city is the logical place to start. This labyrinth of streets and passages houses more than 4.000 shops. The names recall the days when each trade had its own quarter:the goldmiths' street, the carpet sellers' street, the street of the skullcap makers. Still the commercial center of the old city, the bazaar is the original shopping mall with something to suit every taste and pocket.
 
Turkish crafts, the worl-renowned carpets, brilliant handpainted ceramics, copperware, brass ware and meerschaum pipes make charming souvenirs and gifts. The gold jewelry in brilliantly lit cases dazzles passers-by.Leather and suede goods of excellent quality make a relatively inexpensive purchase. The Old Bedesten, in the heart of the bazaar, offers a curious assortment of antiques. It is worth poking through the clutter of decades in the hope of finding a treasure.
   
The Misir Carsisi or Spice Bazaar, next to the Yeni Mosque at Eminonu, transports you to fantasies of the mystical East. The enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every other conceivable herb and spice fill the air.Sultanahmet has become another shopping mecca in the old city. The Istanbul Sanatlari Carsisi (Bazaar of Istanbul Arts) in the 18th century Mehmet Efendi Medresesi and the nearby 16 th century Caferaga Medrese, built by Sinan, offer a chance to see craftsmen at work and to purchase their wares. In the Arasta (old bazaar) of the Sltanahmet Mosque, a thriving shopping arcade makes shopping and sightseeing very convenient.
The sophisticated shops of the Taksim-Nisantasi-Sisli district contrast with the chaos the bazaars. On Istiklal Avenue, Cumhuriyet Avenue and Rumeli Avenue, you can browse peacefully in the most fashinable shops that sell elegant fashions made from Turkey's high quality textiles.Exquisite jewelery as well as finely designed handbags and shoes can also be found. The Atakoy Galleria Mall in Atakoy and Akmerkez Mall in Etiler have branches of Istanbul's most elegant shops. In Bakirkoy, the Carousel mall is worth a visit, as is Atlas Passage in Beyoglu. Bahariye Avenue, Bagdat Avenue and Capitol Mall on the Asian side, offer the same goods.

In Istanbul's busy flea markets you can find an astonishing assortment of goods, both old and new. Everyday offers a new opportunity to poke about the Sahaflar Carsisi and Cinaralti in the Beyazit district.
 
On Sundays, in a flea market between the Sahaflar and the Covered Bazzar, vendors uncover their wares on carts and blankets. The Horhor Carsisi is a collection of shops that sell furniture of varying age and quality. The flea markets in the Topkapi district, on Cukurcuma Sokak in Cihangir, on Buyuk Hamam Sokak in Uskudar, in the Kadikoy Carsi Duragi area, and between Eminonu and  Tahtakale, are open daily. After a Sunday drive up the Bosphorus, stop between Buyukdere and Sariyer  to wander through another lively market.