Spice Bazaar

Need a herbal love potion or natural Turkish Viagra? This is the place to find them, although we won’t vouch for the efficacy of either! As well as baharat (spices) , nuts, honey in the comb and olive-oil soaps, the bustling spice bazaar sells truckloads of incir (figs) , lokum (Turkish delight) and pestil (fruit pressed into sheets and dried). The number of shops selling tourist trinkets increases annually, yet this remains a great place to stock up on edible souvenirs, share a few jokes with the vendors and marvel at the well-preserved building. It’s also home to one of the city’s oldest restaurants, Pandeli, and an attractive competitor, Bab-i Hayat. The market was constructed in the 1660s as part of the New Mosque (Yeni Cami) complex; the rent from the shops supported the upkeep of the mosque and its charitable activities, which included a school, baths, hospital and public fountains. The name ‘Egyptian Market’ comes from the fact that the building was initially endowed with taxes levied on goods imported from Egypt. In its heyday, the market was the last stop for the camel caravans that travelled the Silk Routes from China, India and Persia. Between the market and the New Mosque is the city’s major outdoor market for flowers, plants, seeds and songbirds. There’s a toilet (tuvalet) down a flight of stairs, subject to a small fee. On the west side of the market there are outdoor produce stalls selling fresh foodstuff from all over Anatolia. Also here is the most famous coffee supplier in İstanbul, Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi Mahdumları, established over 100 years ago. It is located on the corner of Hasırcılar Caddesi, which is full of shops selling foodstuffs and kitchenwares.