Today wasn’t meant to be another episode of the Amazing Race, so we limited our activities to just a couple of sites close to each other. Our first stop is one of the oldest existing markets in the world – the Grand Bazaar. To get there we had to ride a funicular from Taksim Square going to Kabatas, which is close to the edge of the Bosphorus. From there, we took the T1 street tram and got off the closest station to the market, which was Beyazit, with the market only a short 100 meters away. Loving the convenience of the local transport system.

And this is our first glimpse of the huge market. Intimidating at first, but I noticed we weren’t the only tourists (not even by a longshot) so I felt a little less anxious. If there’s one thing that gets on my nerves, it’s pushy salespeople.

It was a nice feeling to just walk freely and be able to take pictures of anything. Construction of the market started in the 1400s and they estimate there are currently more than 3000 shops in all. I found it very well maintained for the most part.

When in Rome, naturally, we took a little tea and baklava break at one of the restaurants. The turkish tea was perfect for the incredible sweetness of the dessert – really good (:

The Grand Bazaar was the last stop for those traveling the Silk Road. Must have been an amazing time.

Next up, the Egyptian Bazaar…