Spice Bazaar

An L-shaped covered market built in 1664 as part of the New Mosque complex: the income from the shops went to its upkeep. The Turkish name Misir Carsisi means 'Egyptian market' - goods came here from Cairo, spices above all, and a second name, the spice market, stuck to it. Under the brick vaults there are eighty-odd shops, and although the range has shifted towards tourists, spices, dried fruit, nuts and Turkish delight remain the main goods. A line of their own is caviar, cheeses and herbal blends, which the sellers will readily give you to taste. The bazaar is noticeably smaller and lighter than the Grand Bazaar, you can walk round it in half an hour, and haggling here is just as insistent. Around the building, in the adjoining streets, another market goes on - with seeds, garden tools, live poultry and fish, and it is far more interesting than what is inside.

On the map