Due to it is unique location, Istanbul has always been a crossroads of the oriental and the renaissance, and a buzzing commercial hub. This full-day tour consists of visiting old markets and discovering some traditional handcrafts of Istanbul, and experiencing the influence vibrant commercial times have left on the city’s historic bazaars.

Your tour starts with visiting The Turkish Islamic Art Museum that includes notable examples of Islamic calligraphy, tiles and rugs as well as ethnographic displays, particularly nomad groups.

Then, we will make our way to the Cafer Aga Madrasah, built in 1539 by Architect Sinan. It’s one of those rare living historical places, offering art and music exhibitions, as well as workshops and courses on a variety of traditional Ottoman art forms.

From there we will walk into the Grand Bazaar, a paradise on earth in terms of shopping and commerce. There are over 4000 shops in and around the market from antiques, jewelry, clothes, handwoven carpets, calligraphy artworks, Iznik tiles, you name it!

Next, the second-hand book market, known as Old Book Bazaar. The charming market is not only the centre of distribution and sales, but also a meeting point for the intelligentsia of the city, and a perfect place to breathe the history of the old city from the dusty pages of the second hand books.

Our last stop is the Spice Bazaar, built in 1664. It’s one of the most colorful bazaars of the world. Back in the day, Indian spices were shipped to Istanbul and from there to all of Europe. Today the Bazaar is still home for wide range of spices, delights, dried fruits and vegetables, nuts, and other foodstuffs.