Spice Bazaar Istanbul: Opening Hours, How to Get There, What to Buy and History
Walk through the gate and the air changes: cumin, cinnamon, roasting coffee, a hint of rose. The Spice Bazaar in Istanbul, known locally as Mısır Çarşısı or the Egyptian Bazaar, stands right behind the New Mosque (Yeni Cami) in Eminönü. Shopkeepers estimate that 50,000–60,000 people pass through it every day.
How to get to the Spice Bazaar
The bazaar sits at the Eminönü end of the Galata Bridge.
- Tram T1 (Kabataş–Bağcılar): Get off at Eminönü, pass the New Mosque and walk round the back. Two minutes.
- Ferry: Boats from Kadıköy and Üsküdar dock at the Eminönü piers, within sight of the bazaar gate.
- Marmaray: Sirkeci station, about five minutes on foot.
- From Karaköy: Walk across the Galata Bridge, past the anglers, in about ten minutes.
Don't drive. Parking around Eminönü is scarce and traffic is heavy.
Opening hours and closing days
The Spice Bazaar is open seven days a week. According to Turkish press reports, it opens roughly 08:00–19:30 on weekdays, 08:00–20:00 on Saturdays and 09:30–19:00 on Sundays. Individual shops may close a little earlier.
It is closed during the Ramadan and Sacrifice (Eid) holidays, and has been reported closed on some national holidays, including 29 October. The bazaar has no official website, so check locally before visiting on a holiday.
Is it free?
Yes. This is a working market, not a museum. No ticket, no queue.
What to buy
Most of the bazaar deals in spices and dried goods.
- Spices: chilli flakes (pul biber), smoky isot pepper, sumac, cumin, thyme, cinnamon. Ask what goes into the blends.
- Turkish delight and sweets: rose, pistachio and walnut lokum; walnut-stuffed grape "sausage" (cevizli sucuk).
- Nuts and dried fruit: hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, apricots, figs, mulberries.
- Tea and coffee: herbal teas such as linden and sage, and Turkish coffee.
- Other: souvenirs and jewellery.
Bargaining and shopping tips
Prices are usually per kilo or per 100 grams. Ask the unit price before anything goes on the scale, and walk both arms of the bazaar to compare. There is little room to haggle on food; souvenirs are more flexible. Ask for a taste before buying. Flying home? Ask for vacuum packing, which most shops offer. Buy spices in small amounts: they lose their aroma within months. Cards are widely accepted, but carry some cash for smaller stalls.
What's nearby
Pandeli: Up a steep stone stair above the main entrance, a restaurant known for its blue tiles. Its story goes back to 1901; the founder, Pandeli Çobanoğlu, opened his first restaurant in 1926. It closed in 2016 and reopened in 2019. Sea bass baked in paper is still on the menu.
Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi: On Tahmis Street beside the bazaar, selling coffee since 1871. Expect a queue at the counter; coffee is sold by weight or in packs.
Rüstem Paşa Mosque: A few minutes west. Mimar Sinan built it for Rüstem Paşa, grand vizier to Süleyman the Magnificent, on a raised platform above shops. The interior is lined with some of the finest İznik tiles of the period. The stair entrance from the street is easy to miss.
Flower market: Along the bazaar's outer wall facing the New Mosque, stalls sell seedlings, seeds, flowers and pets.
Best time to go
Weekday mornings, in the first couple of hours after opening, are calmest. Saturday afternoons are the busiest; crowds stretch all the way up to the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı). To combine the two, walk uphill through the trade streets of Tahtakale.
The story
Work on the New Mosque began in 1597 for Safiye Sultan, mother of Mehmed III, under architect Davud Ağa. After the sultan died in 1603, construction stopped, and the half-built walls stood for half a century.
The great fire of 1660 changed that. Hatice Turhan Sultan, mother of Mehmed IV, revived the project, and architect Mustafa Ağa finished the mosque and complex in the early 1660s. Instead of a planned madrasa, a bazaar was built. Shop rents paid for the mosque's upkeep.
It is an L-shaped arcade of stone and brick with six gates, named after old markets around it: the Fish Market, the Mat-makers, the Flower Market. Its first names were the New Bazaar and the Valide Bazaar. The name Mısır, Turkish for Egypt, took hold from the mid-18th century. Tradition says it was built with revenues from Ottoman Egypt; another explanation points to the spices that arrived via Egypt. Mısır also means maize, hence the mistranslation "Corn Bazaar".
A fire in 1691 destroyed much of the building. The city repaired it in the 1940s, losing some original details, and a road cut between bazaar and mosque in 1941. A full restoration by the General Directorate of Foundations was completed in 2018.
FAQ
Is the Spice Bazaar open on Sundays?
Yes, roughly 09:30–19:00.
Is the Spice Bazaar open during Eid?
No. It closes for the Ramadan and Sacrifice holidays.
What time does the Spice Bazaar close?
Around 19:30 on weekdays, 20:00 on Saturdays and 19:00 on Sundays.
Is there an entrance fee?
No, entry is free.
What is the nearest tram stop?
Eminönü on tram T1, two minutes away.
Why is it called the Egyptian Bazaar?
Tradition says it was funded by revenues from Ottoman Egypt; many goods also came via Egypt.
Who built the Spice Bazaar?
Hatice Turhan Sultan, as part of the New Mosque complex. The architect was Mustafa Ağa.
Can you bargain at the Spice Bazaar?
A little on souvenirs, rarely on food. Ask the unit price first.
What should I buy?
Spices, Turkish delight, nuts, dried fruit, herbal tea and coffee.