Egyptian Bazaar and Rumeli Hisar

I don't like shopping. I don't even like browsing (except for books and music). One of the main attractions of Istanbul is the giant Covered Bazaar. I don't go there. I have been to the Egyptian Bazaar several times. If one goes there on a weekday, it can be rather nice. The weekends can be really crowded. So why does someone who hates shopping like someplace where people are supposed to shop? The Egyptian Bazaar is also known as the Spice Bazaar. It was originally built as a covered market to support the hospital and projects of the Yeni Camii which is located right beside it. The inside is fairly dark with high vaulted ceilings. It is in the shape of an "L" with several exits leading out to the surrounding market areas. There are the required tacky souvenir shops but mainly the Egyptian Bazaar is utilitarian. There are butcher shops along the outside wall, dairy shops with cheeses displayed in the skin of the animal the milk came from and salami hanging in their windows, and of course, the spice shops.

In Istanbul, there is a tradition of putting all the stores that sell the same item in the same area. This is very convienent for the shopper but I am amazed that all those shops selling the same thing in the same area can stay in business. I guess it is just another mystery of Turkish economics. All the spice merchants are located in the Egyptian Bazaar. This makes the inside of the bazaar not only visually appealing with all the barrels of colorful spices but fills it with a wonderful mix of smells. The spice shops also sell a wide array of teas and "lokum", Turkish Delight.

Mom, Dad, Roshan and I went to the Egyptian Bazaar on New Years day. It wasn't as crowded as it usually is. We sampled some cheese and leisurly read the names of the spices which were written in both Turkish and English. The spice shops always have a wholesome festiveness about them. I guess since the wares are decorative it makes it easy. They also sell loofas and natural sponges which hang from the ceilings of the stores like garlands.

Outside, on one side of the bazaar is a place where they sell plants, gardening supplies and small animals. The chickens and rabbits seemed a bit cold. The other side leads to the crowded market area that eventually leads to the Covered Bazaar. I suppose this would have been a good opportunity to take Mom and Dad to the Covered Bazaar but I didn't even think of it. Instead, we decided to go to Ortaköy for a little while and then up to Rumeli Hisar.

Rumeli Hisar is an Ottoman Fortress which held one end of the chain that kept ships from entering the Golden Horn from the Black Sea. It was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 4 months while preparing to attack Constantinople. A walk along the walls offers a magnificent view of the Bosphorus. If Rumeli Hisar was in the USA, it would be covered with guard rails. When the weather is warmer, it is a nice place for a picnic. When we were visiting, there was an extremly cold wind. We hurried down and found a tea garden to drink hot tea and coffee.