Turkey has a lot of old marketplaces that were built across the country in the Ottoman period. It would be a crime to miss these traditional markets, known as bazaars!
These traditional Turkish markets hold many beautiful items, tastes, and scents, which makes wandering every corner to discover them a great adventure. I really enjoy discovering traditional bazaars when I go out with a friend! However, to get the most out of your visit to Turkish bazaars as a foreigner, you should learn some Turkish market words and phrases to shop and bargain like a local. And the Ling app can even help you learn Turkish from zero!
Traditional Bazaars In Turkey You Must Visit
Before we get to the vocabulary, I want to talk a little bit about three famous Turkish bazaars where you can find traditional souvenirs. You can also buy anything for a cheaper price at bazaars than supermarkets!
Grand Bazaar (Istanbul)
Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı) is an old marketplace with over 4,000 stalls in Istanbul. There are mosques, fountains, restaurants, hotels, currency exchange services, and even a cemetery inside this market city. And it’s so easy to get lost in here! You can find mostly jewelry, leather goods, textiles, rugs, ceramics, and souvenirs.
Spice Bazaar (Istanbul)
Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı) also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, has over 80 little shops. You can find all kinds of spices, teas, Turkish coffee, and nuts here. I can’t help but buy a pack of freshly ground coffee every time I go there.
Koza Han (Bursa)
Koza Han is a bazaar located in Bursa, and it’s a market where you can find any kind of fabric and textile, including silk. It is a 500-year-old caravanserai. You can buy the most beautiful but inexpensive headscarves and neck scarves, then drink Turkish coffee or tea in the cozy internal courtyard.
Must-Know Turkish Market Words And Phrases
Now, here’s a useful vocabulary list of Turkish market words and phrases you’ll need to make a good bargain and feel like a local.
If you’re looking to learn more than basic phrases, the Ling app can help you with that. It’s available on the Play Store and App Store.
Shopping Culture At Traditional Turkish Bazaars
Turkey has a unique market culture, which I think is thanks to the kindness and hospitality of Turkish people. You will see that Turkish sellers are so talkative and even funny sometimes. Sometimes, they are being so nice that you feel obliged to buy something from them.
Tasting The Offering
Turkish food sellers such as candy shops, delicatessens, and small greengrocers may offer you what they sell to taste and decide whether it’s worth buying or not. They offer you this for free even though you may not buy anything from them. I remember when I was a kid, I used to get a freebie from every stall we passed by in the market. My mother felt embarrassed when she insisted on paying, but the sellers didn’t let her pay since it was their gift to a cute little girl.
Small Talk
You can see small shops both in marketplaces and far out in each Turkish town. Whether it’s a grocery shop, greengrocery, or a small bakery, you can go inside and have a little chat with the owner or employees. My family runs a small grocery shop, and the townspeople trust them with their money, keys, bags, etc. My father has a small talk (which can be very long sometimes) with each customer. After some time, it feels like more than a seller-buyer relationship; it starts to feel like family.
Bargaining
Bargaining is a must-do in every local shop in Turkey. Of course, you can’t apply that in places with fixed prices, such as restaurants, supermarkets, and global chain stores. But when you shop at local stores, bargaining is nothing to be judged. Even sellers know that, and most of them are okay with it. There is even a saying about it, “pazarlık sünnettir,” which means bargaining is a sunnah of Prophet Muhammad.
Want To Bargain Like A Turk?
If you want to bargain like a local, here are some phrases you can use:
- What is your last price? – En son kaça olur?
- What is the price for me? – Bana kaça olur?
- Make a little discount. – Biraz indirim yap.
However, the best way to talk to local shop owners in a bazaar is trough learning Turkish market words and phrases. Hopefully, you’ve learned many of them in this article.
I cover all things related to Turkish culture and language in Ling’s Turkish blog for foreigners who try to mingle with the locals, so make sure to read our other posts!
