In Pictures: The surprising calm of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

Staff photographer Melanie Stetson Freeman and I arrived in Istanbul from Antakya, where we had been covering the reconstruction efforts following Turkey’s devastating earthquake earlier this year. 

We were physically and emotionally drained. We weren’t sure how we would manage the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest covered markets in the world. Everyone had warned us about its chaos and intensity. But as we strolled down alleyways lined with stalls selling carpets and teas, passing every manner of jewelry, shoe, and handicraft shop, it was unexpectedly calm. 

Vendors struck up friendly conversations with us, but they never pushed a sale. In fact, a visit to this market in the heart of old Istanbul was just the respite we needed. Later, we headed to the Spice Bazaar, built in the 1660s, where spices were set out like paints on an artist’s palette. 

Sweets were on offer, too. My favorite was the displays of Turkish delight, also known as lokum, a jelled rose water candy flavored with lemon or mint or stuffed with pistachios, whose origins date back to the 18th century. Indeed, the whole experience seemed to transport us back to another century. 

When it was time to move on, we boarded the Istanbul tram – and were catapulted back into 2023. 

Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff

Vendors look at a phone during a tea break between customers.

Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff

Close up, the details of a handle can be seen on an ancient door of the Cevahir Bedesteni, one of the oldest markets in the center of the Grand Bazaar.

Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff

A small shop sells colorful lanterns. The Grand Bazaar was founded in 1461 and has 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops.

Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff

The Spice Bazaar’s distinctive ceiling is adorned with a banner of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of the Republic of Turkey and its first president.