| Official name | Mısır Çarşısı (Egyptian Bazaar), known in English as the Spice Bazaar |
| Address and access | Rüstem Paşa, Eminönü, 34116 Fatih; T1 tram, Eminönü stop, 2 minutes on foot; ferries right opposite |
| Entry | Free, no ticket |
| Opening hours | Every day from 08:00 to 19:30, Sundays included |
| Closures | Religious holidays (Ramazan Bayramı 9 to 11 March 2027, Kurban Bayramı 16 to 19 May 2027); shop hours vary on 29 October |
| Time needed | 1 hour, or 2 hours with Hasırcılar Street and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque |
| What to wear | Anything goes; cover shoulders and knees if you are adding a mosque next door |
| Who it suits | Food lovers, families, photographers; pushchairs and wheelchairs manage outside peak hours |
Affiliate disclosure: this article contains affiliate links (GetYourGuide, Booking, Uber, Airalo). The price stays the same for you, and I may earn a small commission.
The Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı, also called the Egyptian Bazaar) in Eminönü, Istanbul, is open every day from 08:00 to 19:30, Sundays included, and entry is free. It closes for religious holidays. Arrive when it opens, allow an hour in the aisles, then leave by Hasırcılar Street, where locals do their shopping.
Is the Spice Bazaar free to enter?
Yes. Entry is free, with no ticket or ticket office: you walk in and out through any of the gates. Your only expense is what you buy. The Museum Pass is no use here, because this is a working market, not a museum.
If you are combining it with Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and a cruise on the same day, it is worth checking whether the Istanbul Tourist Pass pays off for your itinerary. The bazaar itself will not cost you a penny.
What are the Spice Bazaar’s opening hours?
The bazaar is open every day from 08:00 to 19:30, according to the traders’ association website (checked on 4 November 2026). There are no winter hours. Shops lift their shutters shortly after 08:00 and the last ones come down around 19:30.
It closes for religious holidays. In 2024 the Istanbul Chamber of Tourist Guides announced it would be shut for the four days of Kurban Bayramı. In 2027, avoid 9 to 11 March (Ramazan Bayramı) and 16 to 19 May (Kurban Bayramı). On 29 October, Republic Day, no official hours are published: some shops close, so go in the morning.
Common mistake: “the Spice Bazaar is closed on Sundays” or “it only opens at 09:30 on Sundays”. Several guides mix it up with the Grand Bazaar, which really is closed all day Sunday. The traders’ association website (checked on 4 November 2026) lists 08:00 to 19:30, seven days a week. Sunday is actually the day to choose the spice market when the Grand Bazaar is shut.
To be there at 08:00 without crossing the city, here is where I would stay: Sultanahmet, three tram stops from Eminönü (more in the hotel section below).
Travelling from the UK: what do you need to know?
British citizens with a full British passport do not need a visa for tourism in Turkey for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Your passport must expire at least 150 days after your arrival date and have at least one blank page. I checked this on the FCDO entry requirements page, updated on 27 October 2026, and rules can change, so look again before you book.
Turkey is three hours ahead of GMT all year, so two hours ahead of the UK during British Summer Time. Turkish sockets are types C and F, not the UK type G, so pack an adapter. For safety advice, the FCDO publishes travel advice for Turkey, and there is a British Consulate-General in Beyoğlu.
Local tip: if you are planning around a bank holiday weekend in May 2027 (3 May or 31 May), note that Kurban Bayramı falls between them, from 16 to 19 May, and the bazaar is shut on those four days. School half-term dates vary by council, so check yours before you fix a date.
How do you get to the Spice Bazaar?
The T1 tram is unbeatable: get off at Eminönü and the bazaar is across the square, behind the New Mosque. A single journey costs ₺46.20 (£0.68) with an İstanbulkart, which you should buy on arrival. A contactless bank card also works at the turnstile, usually charged ₺65 (£0.96).
From the Asian side, take the Şehir Hatları ferry: Kadıköy to Eminönü costs ₺65.21 (£0.97) and Üsküdar to Eminönü ₺58.52 (£0.87). The pier is opposite the bazaar and the crossing passes Sarayburnu point. From Taksim, take the F1 funicular down to Kabataş, then the T1 tram to Eminönü.
| From | How | Price | Approximate time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sultanahmet | T1 tram to Eminönü | ₺46.20 (£0.68) | 10 minutes |
| Taksim | F1 funicular then T1 tram | 2 journeys at ₺46.20 maximum, ₺92.40 (£1.37) | 25 minutes |
| Kadıköy | Şehir Hatları ferry | ₺65.21 (£0.97) | 20 to 25 minutes |
| Üsküdar | Şehir Hatları ferry | ₺58.52 (£0.87) | 15 to 20 minutes |
| Taksim | Yellow taxi on the meter | around ₺310 (£4.59) for 5 km, without traffic; minimum fare ₺230 (£3.41) | 20 to 45 minutes depending on the bridge |
My verdict: tram T1 from the old city, ferry from the Asian side. A taxi costs nearly 7 times the tram fare for a journey that is often slower: Galata Bridge and the Eminönü quays are jammed for much of the day.
How do you avoid taxi scams on the way back from Eminönü?
In the evening, with bags of Turkish delight in hand, the taxi is tempting. The drivers waiting on Eminönü square know it.
19:40 outside the Eminönü tram stop, a bag of Turkish delight in each hand: a driver quoted me ₺1,200 (£17.77) to Taksim “because of the bridge traffic”, meter switched off.
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Kevin’s tip: when I leave the bazaar loaded up, I order from the forecourt of the New Mosque and see the price before I get in, with no arguing amid the horns.
Internet on the spot for prices, Maps and Uber
At the bazaar your phone does everything: converting a price, finding a street, ordering an Uber. Turkey is outside the EU, and most UK networks charge extra for roaming there, so check your tariff before you fly.
At the Spice Bazaar I need data to convert the price per kilo into pounds, find Hasırcılar Street on Maps and check the next ferry to Kadıköy.
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Kevin’s tip: Airalo is the cheapest provider I have found; I activate it at the hotel, on an eSIM-compatible phone, and I have Maps as soon as I step off the tram.
What should you buy at the Spice Bazaar?
Around 85 shops fill the interior, 113 including the outside units, according to istanbul.com (21 October 2026). They sell spices, Turkish delight, dried fruit, tea, herbal infusions and a few souvenirs. Taste before you buy: a good seller hands you a spoon without pushing.
- Pul biber: Turkish chilli flakes, mild and smoky, sprinkled on everything from eggs to kebabs.
- Sumac: a dark red powder with a lemony taste, good on onions and salads.
- Nar ekşisi: pomegranate molasses, tangy, which lifts salads and marinades.
- Çörek otu: nigella seeds, the black seeds on breads and börek.
- Turkish delight (lokum): pistachio, rose or pomegranate, bought by weight and mixed to your taste.
- Tea and infusions: black çay from Rize and herbal blends of pomegranate flower or linden.
Local tip: for the suitcase, ask for vacuum-packing (“vakum”): spices and Turkish delight stay fresh and nothing perfumes your clothes. Most stalls do it on the spot.
Calculator: what will your bag really cost?
Price shown per kilo (in ₺):
Quantity:
250 g = ₺250.00, about £3.70.
TCMB rate of 4 November 2026: £1 = ₺67.5454. Do the sum before the weighing, and watch the scales: the price should land on this amount, packaging deducted.
What time should you visit the Spice Bazaar to avoid the crowds?
At 08:00, when it opens. Traders are building their pyramids of spices, the aisles are empty and you get a taste without a queue. From 11:00 to 16:00, especially on Saturdays, the main aisle moves at a shuffle. After 17:00 the crowd drifts down to the ferries.
For photos I prefer the morning: the light comes in through the doors and picks out the steam from the coffee shops and the colour of the spices. Ask before photographing a seller up close, and switch the flash off, as it flattens the colours.
Local tip: my three photo spots: the corner where the two arms of the L meet, for the perspective down the vaults; a pyramid of pul biber shot from below; and the gate on the Golden Horn side, with the New Mosque behind.
What scams should you avoid at the Spice Bazaar?
The bazaar is safe, but the main aisle lives off tourists in a hurry. Four traps come up again and again.
- Cheap “Turkish saffron”: it is safflower, an orange flower with no saffron taste. My fix: real saffron is sold by the gram, as dark red threads, in a small box, and it is expensive. Be wary of any saffron sold loose, powdered or at the price of cumin.
- Turkish delight “by weight”: you are quoted a price, you think per kilo, and the bill is for 250 g; or the seller weighs the box too. My fix: ask “kilosu kaç lira?” (how much a kilo?), do the sum with the calculator above before the weighing, and watch the scales return to zero with the empty box.
- The “special price for you”: no price tags, a generous tasting, then a “friend’s price” announced once the bag is full. My fix: only buy from stalls that display prices, and ask for the total before the bag is sealed.
- Fake guides at the entrance: a “free tour” that ends in a cousin’s shop. My fix: “Hayır, teşekkürler” (no, thank you) and keep walking. A licensed guide does not tout for passers-by.
My top itinerary around the Spice Bazaar
A morning in Eminönü, from the bazaar to the ferry, without taking the tram again. Outside holiday closures; on Fridays, move the Rüstem Pasha Mosque to before 11:00, as midday prayers draw a crowd.
- 08:00: leave the T1 tram at Eminönü, a simit and a çay facing the quays.
- 08:15: enter by the Golden Horn gate, main aisle still empty, tastings and shopping by weight.
- 09:15: exit onto Hasırcılar Street; ground coffee at Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, on the corner of Tahmis Street, then the locals’ market: cheese, olives, honey.
- 10:00: Rüstem Pasha Mosque, reached by the stairs from Hasırcılar Street; 30 minutes for its İznik tiles.
- 10:45: New Mosque (Yeni Cami), on the square, before midday prayers.
- 11:30: lunch: balık ekmek (fish sandwich) on the quays, or Pandeli, upstairs above the bazaar gate (closed on Sundays).
- 13:00: Eminönü to Kadıköy ferry (₺65.21), views of Sarayburnu point and the Galata Tower, and the afternoon on the Asian side.
To fit the bazaar into a full day with Hagia Sophia and Topkapı, follow my itinerary for visiting Istanbul in 1 day.
What is the history of the Spice Bazaar?
The bazaar was completed in 1664, as part of the New Mosque complex commissioned by the sultana Turhan Hatice, mother of Mehmed IV. Shop rents paid for the mosque’s upkeep. Its Turkish name, Mısır Çarşısı, the “Egyptian Market”, comes from the taxes of Ottoman Egypt that financed the building.
The plan forms an L, covered by lead domes, with 6 gates. For centuries herbalists sold remedies and potions here; a few stalls keep that tradition alive with their herbal blends. The bazaar sits within the Historic Areas of Istanbul listed by UNESCO.
Local tip: as you leave by the main gate, look up at the staircase leading to Pandeli, the restaurant above the bazaar: the dining room is covered in turquoise tiles. Open 11:30 to 19:00, closed on Sundays.
What is there to see near the Spice Bazaar?
- New Mosque (Yeni Cami): on the square, 1 minute away. The bazaar was built to fund its upkeep.
- Rüstem Pasha Mosque: 5 minutes, perched above the shops of Hasırcılar Street; its walls covered in İznik tiles are, to my taste, the finest in the city.
- Galata Bridge: 3 minutes. Anglers on the top deck, fish restaurants below.
- Sirkeci station: 7 minutes, the old terminus of the Orient Express.
- The Grand Bazaar: 15 minutes uphill through the shopping streets; here is how to visit the Grand Bazaar without getting lost (closed on Sundays).
- Süleymaniye Mosque: 15 minutes uphill, for the best view over the Golden Horn from Suleiman’s mosque.
For the rest of your stay, I have sorted the best things to do in Istanbul by neighbourhood.
What to wear, and what services are there?
No dress code applies inside the bazaar. If you are adding the New Mosque or Rüstem Pasha, plan to cover shoulders and knees, and bring a scarf if you are a woman. A “Merhaba” (hello) and a “Teşekkürler” (thank you) open every conversation.
The bazaar is level, so pushchairs and wheelchairs get through, though not at peak times. The Rüstem Pasha Mosque, by contrast, is reached by a staircase. Public toilets, which are paid, are near the New Mosque. There is no left-luggage and no reliable free Wi-Fi.
Cards are accepted in most shops. Keep a few small lira notes for the stalls on Hasırcılar Street and the morning simit.
Where should you stay near the Spice Bazaar?
Sleeping in Eminönü or Sultanahmet puts you at the bazaar when it opens and 5 minutes from the tram. My selection, rated at least 4 out of 5 by travellers (see also my guide to the best hotels in Istanbul):
| Budget | Hotel | Why this one |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | Orient Mintur Hotel | Simple and efficient, in a quieter area, 15 minutes on foot from the bazaar. |
| Budget | Boss Hotel Sultanahmet | Modern and clean, 10 minutes on foot from the T1 tram. |
| Mid-range | Legacy Ottoman Hotel | A former Ottoman building 5 minutes on foot away, with an indoor pool. My pick. |
| Mid-range | Orient Express Hotel | Train-themed decor, 7 minutes on foot from Sirkeci station and the bazaar. |
| Upmarket | Régie Ottomane Istanbul | Boutique hotel in a former tobacco warehouse, 5 minutes on foot, spacious suites. |
| Upmarket | CVK Park Bosphorus Hotel | Bosphorus views and a spa, but in Taksim: funicular then tram to reach the bazaar. |
For me, the best hotel near the Spice Bazaar is the Legacy Ottoman Hotel: the bazaar 5 minutes away, the tram just below, and the calm of an old Ottoman building in the evening.
My verdict on the Spice Bazaar
After years of going back, the bazaar remains one of my favourite places in Istanbul, as long as you come early.
Pros
- An hour of colour and smells, with no ticket.
- Easy things to bring home: pul biber, sumac, vacuum-packed Turkish delight.
- The whole life of Eminönü around it: ferries, markets, mosques.
Cons
- The crowd from 11:00 to 16:00: come at 08:00.
- Tourist prices in the main aisle: buy on Hasırcılar Street.
My favourite moment
Sitting on the steps on the Golden Horn side with a scalding çay. The ferries leave, the simit sellers shout, the gulls wheel over the quays: that is where I feel Eminönü’s pulse.
Spice Bazaar FAQ
Is the Spice Bazaar free to enter?
Yes, entry is free and ticketless: you walk in and out through any of the 6 gates. Only your purchases cost money. The Museum Pass is no use here, as it is a market rather than a museum, and no guided tour is compulsory.
What are the Spice Bazaar’s opening hours?
The bazaar is open every day from 08:00 to 19:30, Sundays included, according to the traders’ association website checked on 4 November 2026. There are no winter hours. It closes for religious holidays, and some shops close on 29 October.
Is the Spice Bazaar closed on Sundays?
No. It is the Grand Bazaar that closes on Sundays. The Spice Bazaar opens from 08:00 to 19:30, seven days a week, according to the traders’ association website checked on 4 November 2026. Sunday is actually a good morning to spend there.
How can you tell real saffron at the Spice Bazaar?
Real saffron is sold by the gram, as dark red threads in a small box, and it is expensive. Cheap “Turkish saffron” sold loose is safflower, with no saffron taste. Ask to smell it: the real thing smells of honey and hay.
What are the best Turkish spices to buy?
Pul biber (chilli flakes), lemony sumac, pomegranate molasses (nar ekşisi) and nigella seeds (çörek otu) are the easiest to use at home. Ask for vacuum-packing for your suitcase: most stalls offer it, and nothing perfumes your clothes.
Where is the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul?
It is in Eminönü, in the Fatih district, behind the New Mosque, on the European side. Take the T1 tram to the Eminönü stop and walk 2 minutes, or arrive by ferry from Kadıköy or Üsküdar, as the pier faces the bazaar.
Is the Spice Bazaar the same as the Egyptian Bazaar?
Yes. Its Turkish name, Mısır Çarşısı, means “Egyptian Market”: its construction, completed in 1664, was financed by taxes from Egypt, then an Ottoman province. Spice Bazaar and Egyptian Bazaar are two names for the same place.
Is the Spice Bazaar closed during religious holidays?
Yes. In 2024 it was shut for the four days of Kurban Bayramı. In 2027, avoid 9 to 11 March (Ramazan Bayramı) and 16 to 19 May (Kurban Bayramı). On the eve of a holiday it stays open, often busier than usual.
How long do you need at the Spice Bazaar?
Allow 1 hour in the aisles, or 2 hours with Hasırcılar Street, Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque. Arrive at 08:00: from 11:00 to 16:00 the main aisle moves at walking pace.
What is the difference between the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar?
The Grand Bazaar is far bigger, focused on carpets, jewellery and crafts, and closed on Sundays. The smaller Spice Bazaar mainly sells spices, Turkish delight and dried fruit, and opens every day from 08:00 to 19:30. They are 15 minutes apart on foot.
Read also
Carpets, jewellery and covered lanes, 15 minutes on foot from the Spice Bazaar.
Sinan’s masterpiece and its terrace over the Golden Horn, above Eminönü.
Public ferries or a cruise: my routes from the Eminönü quays.
Sources and references
- Mısır Çarşısı, traders’ association website (hours, address), checked on 4 November 2026
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Turkey entry requirements, updated 27 October 2026, checked on 4 November 2026
- Istanbul Chamber of Tourist Guides (İRO), Kurban Bayramı opening hours (in Turkish), published 14 August 2024, checked on 4 November 2026
- Haber Gazetesi, bazaar opening on 29 October (in Turkish), article of 28 October 2026, checked on 4 November 2026
- istanbul.com, number of shops in the Spice Bazaar, page dated 21 October 2026, checked on 4 November 2026
- İstanbulkart, transport fares, checked on 1 November 2026
- Şehir Hatları, ferry fares, checked on 29 October 2026
- BirGün, Istanbul taxi fares (in Turkish), article of 16 September 2026, checked on 29 October 2026
- Central Bank of Turkey (TCMB), exchange rates, bulletin of 4 November 2026
- MICHELIN Guide, Pandeli restaurant (opening hours), checked on 4 November 2026
- Go Türkiye, Turkish tourism board, the Spice Bazaar, checked on 4 November 2026
- UNESCO, Historic Areas of Istanbul, checked on 4 November 2026
Kevin’s transparency note: this article contains affiliate links (GetYourGuide, Booking, Uber, Airalo). The price stays the same for you; a small commission comes my way and funds these free guides, and my next simit with a çay. Teşekkür ederim! Follow my days in Istanbul on Instagram: @kevinloveistanbul.
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