Istanbul 2--Spice Bazaar & Fish Market

The Spice Bazaar is the second largest and perhaps oldest marketplace in Istanbul. In addition to oodles and oodles of shops selling spices, there are bazillions of shops selling a wide variety of things, from jewelry to meats and sausages.

Dates, fruits, nuts and all kids of delicious things are sold by bulk in the Spice Bazaar.

Literally, there are hundreds of shops that sell spices. Pat paid 20 TL per gram for fresh saffron. I bought a special Turkish barbeque spice mix. Hungry? Come over, and I will fire up the grill.

Pat is grinning with exploratory jubilation just before we enter the Spice Bazaar.

There was a whole row of restaurants near the Spice Bazaar and the New Mosque on the waterfront. Interestingly, the kitchens were on boats that tossed wildly in the huge wakes caused by the big ferry boats. The diners, however, enjoyed the comfort of shade and the stability of dry land.

This is a picture of Galata Tower, taken from the gateway to the Spice Bazaar. The tower is over 1650 years old and nine stories tall. It is located at the foot of Istiklal Avenue (Independence Avenue), and is the pride of the New City skyline. There is a restaurant on the eighth floor and a night club on the top floor.

This is the fish market. There is no better place to buy fresh fish.

This is what I am going to call a typical Istanbul restaurant meal. It consists of ground lamb, fried fish, roasted chicken, flat bread, onions, tomatoes and cucumbers. Because of European influences, fries are served with almost every meal.

This is me. Well, a picture of me. I am standing in front of one of the seven entrances to the Grand Bazaar, which houses more than 4000 shops. After the Ottoman's conquered Istanbul, rather than evict or enslave the residents, Sultan Mehmed II invited those who fled back into the city to live, work and trade. Encouraging Armenians, Greeks and Romans to move to Istanbul, the sultan also created the Grand Bazaar to foster trade. Today, you cannot take three steps in the Grand Bazaar without being pestered by salesmen (yes, they are all male) trying to lure you into their shops. All prices are negotiable at the Grand Bazaar. But don't worry, no matter how good of a negotiator you think you are, you're going to be gouged; enjoy the cultural immersion.