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Grand BazaarvsBalik Pazari
Both are praised by professionals. On balance, Grand Bazaar is preferred by most professionals compared to Balik Pazari. Grand Bazaar comes in at 92 with endorsements from 6 reviewers such as Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure and Fodor's.
Grand Bazaar
Fodor's
Frommer's
Lonely Planet
Travel + Leisure
Michelin Guide
Afar Magazine
Time Out
Grand Bazaar Istanbul Turkey
From $0/night
Fodor's "Take a deep breath and plunge into this maze of 65 winding, covered streets crammed with 4,000 tiny shops, cafés, restaurants, mosques, and courtyards." Full review
Frommer's "The mother of all tourist traps, the Grand or Covered Bazaar is a vivid illustration of all that's gone wrong with the free market." Full review
Lonely PlanetTop choice
"This labyrinthine and chaotic bazaar is the heart of the Old City and has been so for centuries. No visit to İstanbul would be complete without a stop here." Full review
Travel + Leisure "This massive, dazzling, and cacophonous covered market is the ur-bazaar of the Orient; if you’ve envisioned what it will be like, prepare to have your expectations exceeded." Full review
Michelin Guide 2 Stars
"The Grand Bazaar is a joyful, feverish universe that can overwhelm and unsettle with its thousands of shops and workshops, caravanserais, warehouses, restaurants, fountains, banks and mosque." Full review
Afar Magazine "Soon after conquering Constantinople and defeating the Byzantines in 1453, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II commissioned the beginnings of the Grand Bazaar to reinvigorate trade to the city." Full review
Time Out "Among the world's oldest and largest covered markets, the Grand Bazaar features thousands of shops spread across dozens of streets." Full review
i
If you're planning on making purchases, be sure to put your bargaining hat on and show no mercy.
Balik Pazari Fodor's Frommer's Lonely Planet Michelin Guide
Balikpazari, İstiklal Caddesi, İstanbul Turkey
From $0/night
Fodor's "Located just off İstiklal Caddesi next to the entrance to the Çiçek Pasajı, the Balık Pazarı is a bustling labyrinth of streets filled with stands." Full review
Frommer's "This fish market is a colorful cluster of much more than just fishmongers." Full review
Lonely Planet "Many of the shops have been here for close on a century and have extremely loyal clienteles – check out Sütte Şarküteri for its delicious charcuterie." Full review
Michelin Guide 1 Star
"A feast of Rococo architecture, the 19C Flower Passage (Çiçek Pasaji in Turkish) has retained its full charm." Full review
i
You'll also want to visit the nearby bustling market, with its colourful displays of fish, flowers and fruit.
