Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı) is over 350 years old and the best location to buy spices, dry fruits, and variety of tea, Turkish delights, saffron and much more. There are over 85 shops to offer the best spice bazaar experience.
Entrance to the Spice Bazaar
The Spice Bazaar is also called as the Egyptian bazaar because it was built with the revenues from the Ottoman eyalet of Egypt in 1660. Mısır means Egypt or Corn in Turkish.
Note: 1€ ~ 6.2 Turkish Lira (TL)
Blog Contents
Warm gesture
People are very warm and welcoming. They were very patient and explained every spice to us. It was a very nice gesture and not even 1 shop keeper was disinterested.
Bazaar interior
They don’t do any actions or call you out to grab your attention. Everyone behaves decently and this is what I liked the most about spice bazar. They let you see what you want and even if don’t buy anything they did not get aggressive.
Varieties available
All the shops have almost everything. By everything, I mean spices, whole spice, dry fruits and Turkish delights and not all shops have tea varieties.
Spice Bazaar magic spices
There are a variety of spices for chicken, fish, salad and mutton. There are whole spices like
Cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves, cardamom, star anise
Fenugreek, mustard seeds
Red pepper, black pepper, mixed pepper
Turmeric powder, chilli powder, paprika, chilli pepper, sweet paprika, ottoman spice, and all possible combinations.
They even customize it for you.
Variety of spices
Ottoman spice caught my attention and I decided to buy it. It is a mixture of 25 herbs that can be used like another spice except that it is coarse and not a fine powder.
Tea
Spice bazaar should be renamed as ‘’Spice and Tea Bazaar’’ because it offers an equal number of tea varieties like
Energy tea, Relax tea, Green tea,
Rose tea, Pomegranate tea, Love tea,
Dream tea, Harmony tea, Ginger tea,
Masala tea, Lemon tea, Ottoman tea,
Istanbul tea, Hibiscus tea, Mint tea, and the list goes on.
I never knew these many varieties even existed.
Packed tea flavours
They are available in packets of 50gms or you are free to choose the quantity. I picked up 5-6 variants of tea and can’t decide which one tastes better.
Tip: It is better to customize as per your taste because it is a lot cheaper than the packed ones.
Dried kiwis, dried pineapples, dried papayas, dried apricots, dried watermelon, dried apples and more.
There are varieties of Turkish delights available with all possible dry fruits combination and taste amazing. These are must-buys. These look very colourful and it is truly a feast for the eyes.
Heaps of sweetsTip: It is better to customize it as per your liking. Do not buy the packed ones because they are coated with a thick layer of boric acid to preserve it.
Hidden half-priced market
I am calling it hidden half-priced because not many people know about this market before visiting. In addition to spice bazaar, this is another extensive market just outside the bazaar which sells all the same spices and tea as inside.
For example, I purchased 200 gms of ottoman spice for paid 35 TL. And the same quantity is available outside for 18 TL. See the difference. In the end, it was just 2.5€ difference, but still, there is a difference in price.
The market outside
So it is advised to see all the variety of spices inside and then go and buy in the shops outside. But for tea, it is better to buy inside the spice bazaar because there are too many choices for a good price. If you buy in bulk then do expect offers from the owner.
What to buy?
1. Tea– Buy varieties of tea because Turkish tea is very special and you will regret if you don’t. They are super delicious and worth the money.
2. Spices – It is called the spice market for a reason. You can find the best spices and herbs. Ottoman spice is my personal favourite and I use it almost all the dishes.
3. Turkish delight – There are heaps of sweets arranged and these have to be on your list. Like I said earlier don’t buy the packed ones instead handpick them and quench your sweet desire.
Dried fruits
Saffron
We read that Turkish saffron is nothing but dried safflower. It is not recommended to buy it. But original Iranian saffron is available but of course at a higher price.
My experience
I truly loved the spice bazaar. This is one place I want to visit again because I was not satisfied with the number of spices and tea I bought. Even now I feel that I should have got all the spices because I love cooking. So if you feel like buying then just buy it. In the end, it’s all worth it.
Overall experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5
FAQs
Is it a closed market?
Yes, it is a closed market.
When is it open?
On all 7 days from 8.00 am -7.00 pm.
When is the best time to visit?
The ideal timing is morning at 9.00.
Is it too crowded?Yes, it is crowded in the afternoons and evenings. So be there in the morning.
Can we bargain?Yes, you can. If you are a group, then buy spices together in one place. The seller will give a very lower price.
Can we taste the spices?Yes, ask the shopkeeper.
What else is available?
Turkish tea set, glassware, Rosewater, variety of perfume, cooking utensils, and other souvenir items.
Is it huge?
Not very huge when compared to Grand bazaar.
How much time do we need?
2-3 hours is sufficient.
What do the shops outside the market sell?
Dry fruits, spices, tea and coffee powder, mobile accessories, bags, shoes, fresh juices, kitchenware, etc.
Do they accept other currencies?No, only Turkish Lira is accepted.
Time of visit: November 2019We would be glad to hear your feedback. Feel free to rate and leave a comment.[ratings]
