Best souvenir shops in Istanbul to buy perfect gifts for your loved ones
In a city like Istanbul, where the history goes back literally 2.000 years, there are some incredible artifacts you'll find.
- Turkey
- Published Date: 04:39 | 14 October 2019
- Modified Date: 05:41 | 14 October 2019
The antique shops feature so many pieces of indeterminate date and brands long gone by, mostly sold for a fraction of what you think they should cost.
Feriköy Flea Market
Every Sunday this flea market is packed with people looking to stock up on things, or just browsing in case they come across a once-in-a-lifetime item.
Week to week the things you'll find change a fair amount, and if you go towards the end of the day you might get some exceptionally low prices as people are willing to lower rates to get rid of their wares before taking them back home with them.
Çukurcuma
Çukurcuma is known for all of its antique shops, and when you walk up Çukurcuma Street you'll see dozens of shops with odds and ends you wouldn't believe you'd be able to find.
Most of the stores are literally packed to the brim with items, and even just browsing is fun regardless of whether you intend to buy anything or not.
Dolapdere
There are true gems in this market, and it may be the best flea market anywhere in the city.
Balat
Balat is maybe the oldest district in the city, so it's no surprise that it houses some of the city's best antique stores.
Many of the wares you'll find are actually new, but still handcrafted by families who've been crafting the same things for generations.
You could easily spend an entire day wandering through Balat looking both at the old homes, the churches and mosques, and the windy alleyways while stopping in at the little antique shops you pass and checking out what amazing thing will pop up next!