SHOPPING IN ISTANBUL & TURKEY
 
 
Shops are usually open between 09:30 - 19:00
and normally closed on Sunday.
 
Turkey, as a result of its geographical location, is a treasure-house of hand-made products. These range from carpets and kilims, to gold and silver jewelry, ceramics, leather and suede clothing, ornaments fashioned from alabaster, onyx, copper, and meerschaum. 
 
When purchasing carpets, jewelry or leather products, it is advisable to consult your guide or do your shopping at a reputable store rather than in the street from vendors. 
 
CARPET & KILIMS & RUG STORE
 
A carpet is more a work of art than an article which people step on for everyday use. 
 
70% of the tourists coming to Turkey return to their homes with carpets because Turkey is a treasure-house of carpets...
 
LEATHER STORE 
 
Leather processing is a traditional handicraft in Turkey and was developed greatly during the Ottoman period. Istanbul's traditional leather manufacturing industry was concentrated in the district of Kazlicesme, where Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror had 360 tannery shops built to be rented out to leather craftsmen. Over the next 500 years Kazlicesme became a notorious eyesore which could be smelt long before it came into sight and the hundreds of small manufacturers have now been moved to a spacious modern industrial estate in Pendik.