Shopping in Istanbul
Shopping is an important aspect of a nice vacation. You won't have any problems for finding somethings for yourself in Istanbul. Istanbul bears many huge shopping malls, fancy small boutiques that has expensive brands inside, the famous Grand Bazaar and many districts specialised in various products. Bargaining is a culture in Turkish trade. A general rule thumb of a 25% reduction is acceptable. On the other hand most more corporate branded shops in Istanbul will have strict prices that no negotiation can be done. For other smaller shops negotiation is a must.If you want to buy some exotic stuff you can look for some handmade rugs (kilim in Turkish) or carpets. Also Turkey produces some very high quality leather products as good as the ones produced in Italy or France. Leather products and rugs can be found in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Besides these, the 3,600 shop bazaar has many shops specialised in gold and silver products. Most of these products are hand made and has Turkish style designs. Be sure to buy a map of Grand Bazaar since this huge bazaar has 64 streets and 22 gates.
There are many huge and nice shopping malls in Istanbul where you can find anything you want. Istinye Park, in north Istanbul (European Side), is one of the new ones. Istinye Park received the "Best Shopping Mall in Europe" award in 2009. You can also find very high priced brands here like Louis Vuitton or Dolce and Gabbana. Akmerkez is one of the oldest shopping malls in Istanbul which never lost its popularity. Akmerkez is located in Etiler district in Istanbul. Kanyon Shopping Mall was built in 2007 and is renowned with its award winning architecture. Cevahir Shopping Mall in Mecidiyekoy is the biggest shopping mall in Europe (and 6th in the world) with 343 shops.
If you look for outdoor shopping Nisantasi and Sisli districts near Taksim can be suitable for you. In this region you can find mostly textile products from very cheap t-shirts for 3 EURs each to very fashionable brands like Gucci. The region has also very nice and cosy restaurants and cafes for resting and eating.
Almost all major credit cards are accepted in all shops nowadays. So don't waste your time with travel cheques or looking for exchange offices to convert to Turkish Lira. Keep only a small amount of Turkish Lira with you (200 TL would be more than enough for a day). Be sure to have your identity card with you due to credit card shopping regulations.