Gunga-Why the Grand Bazaar is Grand

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There is a reason why the Grand Bazaar is called Grand and not the Pretty Good Bazaar or the 'Shop Till You Drop' Bazaar ( although that is a pretty accurate portrayal). It is Grand in the sense of the Grand Canyon or the Grand Tetons - something so out of the ordinary that normal words can't quite describe it.

First off it has over 4,000 shops in the enclosed corridors. But even before you go through the giant gates ( which in years past were closed each night for protection) you run through a gaunlet of shops approaching the Bazaar and then street sellers. It is all pretty dazzling and daunting. But one must keep a cool head and not listen to the siren songs of the salesmen who are trying to entice you to come inside their shop. They will ply you with sweet talk- " you are so beautiful", or " you are my first customer of the day- special price". Later on the word 'first' is substituted with 'noon', afternoon' or 'last'. I can assure you that the price is not particularly special. The other thing they do is try and guess where you are from. Since most know a smattering of several languages and almost all know some English, we were asked if we were from England, then Australia, or New Zealand, sometimes Canada but rarely the US. When we said the US they all said "Obama". One shop has a 2008 Obama campaign button and a sign that said "Obama recommends this shop". If they succeed in getting you into their shop they next sit you down and offer you tea or apple juice. This miraculously appears by a minion who comes out of nowhere. This treatment can be for something as small as a bar of soap or as large as a carpet or leather jacket.

Most of the sales people are men. I did see 2 or 3 saleswomen which was a change from when I was here in 2000 when it was strictly the purview of males.
The corridors are several miles in all directions. Be sure to make note of and take a picture of the gate you enter as you will need to find your way back. You can easily get lost, and most likely will. To find your way out just keep asking salemen for your gate number.

Amidst all the tourist schlock are real treasures especially in beautiful textiles, carpets, jewelry, and leather goods. Val was the recipient of some extraordinary attention and we both witnessed the lengths that the salesmen will go to to try and please you AND make a sale. She showed some slight interest in a leather jacket. We were invited in and given seats. Because it had become quite warm they turn the air on and let us know that this was special for us. She didn't care for the fit of the coat. No problem. He was perplexed because he had brought the largest size. When it was much too big he said " You are not so big as I thought, you are thin ..." and he made motions down by her hips and legs. The 2 salesmen rushed out and came back a few minutes later. The older man ordered apple juice for us while the younger one ran around to all the other shops to find the right coat. He was gone quite a while but the older man chatted with us to make sure we didn't get up and leave. Despite all his best efforts, Val could not find a coat to her liking. The salesman, for the first time showed some frustration. He told Val that since she lived where it was warm she didn't have to zip the coat. We laughed and said that that wouldn't make a sale. He shrugged. We thanked them for their efforts and were allowed to leave. We were not as resistant the first time we went through the market and succumbed to a young man who showed us almost every piece of textile in his shop. He had just opened the shop and was desperate to make a sale. There was really no way we were getting out of there without buying something. Val made an offer. He pouted and rejected it. I said " give us those 2 pieces and named a price". He accepted it but not happily. We paid. He put them in a bag and we bolted out of there as he turned off the air conditioning.

Is it worth a trip to Istanbul to experience this on-going shopping experience? For me, it is more fun than getting up at 4 a.m. on Black Friday and all the Blue Light specials put together. If you come be sure and reserve a couple of 1/2 days to experience it. You just have to leave after a few hours as it becomes too overwhelming. It also helps to have a shopping list in mind and some idea of what the items are worth and what you will pay. Most will negotiate some but they will try to get as much as they can. When you buy in multiples you can pretty much always get a discount. After the very pushy and aggressive salesmen in Egypt the salesmen in the Grand Bazaar seemed polite and gentle. They didn't harass you or chase after you and stick things in your hands and demand payment.

Now that I've given you all the shopping tips you need to navigate the sea of shops it is your turn to come and enjoy this adventure.

Our trip is just about over and a wonderful one it was. I have enjoyed hearing from many of you who have left comments on the blogs. It is fun to have you along with me.

Not sure if this will wind up the blog. I always like to take some time to reflect on the experience. Not sure where the next trip will be but hope you will stay with me. It has been especially fun having some of my grandchildren following along- hello to Callum, Stella, and Julia. Nana will see you soon! xxxxxxxxx
Love,
Carolyn/Gunga

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