Sultanahmet is where the most iconic historical monuments and the most beautiful boutique hotels in Istanbul are located. For this reason, visitors to the city want to have information about the shopping malls and shopping streets close to Sultanahmet.
There are places that offer cheap or luxury shopping in the neighborhoods near Sultanahmet. You can shop around Sultanahmet in bazaars with hundreds of years of history, in the streets full of local and foreign people, or in modern shopping malls.
In this article, I will share the shopping options in and around Sultanahmet under three separate headings. Thus, we will get to know the modern shopping centers, shopping streets and historical bazaars in Sultanahmet.
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Shopping Malls near Sultanahmet 2024
In this title, you can find 5 shopping malls close to Sultanahmet. It is possible to provide practical transportation to two of these shopping centers with Tram T1. To reach the others, you only need to change a few vehicles or take a taxi.
1. Historia
Historia is one of the old shopping centers of Istanbul. You can find shops of many local brands in Historia, located in the heart of the Historic Peninsula. The Historia is close to Sultanahmet as well as to Beyazit, Laleli and Aksaray districts, which attract attention with their large hotels in the Old City.
The Historia, which is a medium-sized place among the shopping malls in Istanbul, is a place that will meet the shopping needs of many people in my opinion. To find more options, it is necessary to go to giant shopping centers such as Cevahir.
You can easily reach Historia from Sultanahmet via Tram T1. In order to go to Historia, you need to take the vehicle from Sultanahmet Tram Station in the direction of Bagcilar and get off at Haseki Tram Station. The Historia is just a few minutes’ walk from Haseki Tram Stop.
2. Olivium
Olivium is also one of the shopping centers relatively close to Sultanahmet. Especially those who want to shop for cheap clothes near Sultanahmet can prefer this outlet mall.
Olivium is located on the west side of the Historic Peninsula. The name of the district where Olivium is located is Zeytinburnu. The 1600-year-old Theodosian Walls are also located in this area.
The easiest way to get to Olivium shopping center from Sultanahmet would be to take a taxi. A taxi taking the coastal road can take you from Sultanahmet to Zeytinburnu in 15 minutes.
3. Marmara Forum
Marmara Forum is the one with the most options among the shopping centers close to Sultanahmet. In this mall, you can find domestic brands as well as many international luxury brands.
Marmara Forum is located between Zeytinburnu and Bakirkoy districts. Bakirkoy also hosts Ataturk Airport, the old airport of Istanbul, and major exhibition centers such as CNR Expo.
Bakirkoy is one of the most popular districts of Istanbul and there are many public transportation options. In order to go from Sultanahmet to Bakirkoy, you must first take the Tram T1 to Zeytinburnu.
First of all, take the tram from Sultanahmet Tram Station in the direction of Bagcilar. After about 20 minutes, you can get off at Zeytinburnu stop. From here, the Marmara Forum can be reached on foot.
4. Galataport
Galataport is not only a large shopping center but also Istanbul’s cruise port. Galataport was completed between 2016 and 2021 with a large-scale construction work.
There are shops of very luxurious brands in Galataport. Promising the opportunity to have a good time by the sea, Galataport also has nice restaurants and cafes. In addition, the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art is located here.
Getting to Galataport from Sultanahmet is very easy. First of all, you need to take the tram from Sultanahmet Tram Station in the direction of Kabatas. In less than 10 minutes, you can get off at Tophane Tram Stop and walk to Galataport.
5. Cevahir
Cevahir is one of the biggest shopping centers in Istanbul. You can reach Cevahir, which is relatively far from Sultanahmet compared to other shopping places on the list, by tram and metro connection.
Cevahir is located in Sisli, one of the modern districts of Istanbul. Sisli, which is very close to Taksim Square, has become even more popular in recent years with the opening of international chain hotels.
To get to Cevahir shopping mall from Sultanahmet, you first need to take Tram T1 to Aksaray. When you take the tram from Sultanahmet Tram Station in the direction of Bagcilar, you will reach Aksaray in less than 10 minutes.
When you get off the tram in Aksaray, you have to walk to Marmaray Station via Ataturk Boulevard. When you take the Metro M1 Yenikapi-Haciosman metro from here, you can reach the Sisli (aka Mecidiyekoy) stop in about 20 minutes.
Getting to Cevahir from Sultanahmet is a little more difficult than going to other shopping centers on the list. But rest assured it will be worth it. Because both the shopping center itself and the district in which it is located (Sisli) are worth seeing.
Shopping Streets in Sultanahmet
There are shops selling souvenirs, Turkish delight and carpets on the shopping streets in Sultanahmet. You can also find local restaurants and sweet shops on these streets.
Mahmutpasa Yokusu, at the end of the list, is a hidden gem for those who want to shop for cheap clothing in Sultanahmet. If you want to do cheap shopping like a local in Istanbul, you should try this place.
1. Divanyolu Street
Divanyolu Street is the busiest street of Sultanahmet, over which the tram passes. If you walk on this street from the Sultanahmet Tram Stop to the Grand Bazaar, you can find many places to shop.
There are famous local restaurants such as Sultanahmet Koftecisi and Lale Restaurant (aka Pudding Shop) on Divanyolu Street. On the other hand, you can see international brands such as McDonalds and Starbucks on this street.
2. Yerebatan Street
Yerebatan Street actually gets its name from the Turkish pronunciation of Basilica Cistern. On this street, you can see some of the popular hotels and cafes of the beautiful district.
You can also find shops selling leather jackets and authentic clothes on Yerebatan Street. In addition, there are some carpet shops and Turkish delight shops. Cagaloglu Hamami, one of the most famous Turkish baths in the district, is also on this street.
3. Nuruosmaniye Street
Nuruosmaniye Street is a pedestrian road stretching from Sultanahmet to the Grand Bazaar. There are quite luxurious carpet, jewelery and souvenir shops on this street.
Nuruosmaniye Street is the best shopping street in Sultanahmet, but it is a bit expensive. It is very pleasant to sit and watch people in the cafes on this street in spring and summer.
On this street, there are Istanbul’s best designer jewelery shops and antique carpet shops. The charm of the street may persuade you to shop before you reach the Grand Bazaar.
4. Akbiyik Street
Akbiyik Street is located between Sultanahmet and Cankurtaran district, where the Old City meets the Marmara Sea in the south. This street has some of the best hotels in Sultanahmet (E.g. Empress Zoe Hotel).
Akbiyik Street is the only representative of the very limited nightlife in Sultanahmet. As there are many hostels and budget boutique hotels on this street, the street is lively both during the day and at night.
You can find shops selling cheap women’s bags, souvenirs and budget-friendly rugs on Akbiyik Street. Very close to this street is Balikci Sabahattin, one of the best fish restaurants in Istanbul.
5. Mahmutpasa Yokusu
Mahmutpasa Yokusu is the name of the gently sloping street stretching between the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar. You can buy very cheap clothes from the shops on this street.
Mahmutpasa Yokusu (or Mahmutpasa Bazaar) is where young girls shop for dowry. In addition, Turkish families shop for cheap clothing for themselves from this traditional shopping place.
Historical Bazaars in Sultanahmet
You can experience traditional shopping in the historical bazaars in Sultanahmet. In general, you can reduce the price of the things you buy in these bazaars by bargaining. On the other hand, in modern shopping malls around Sultanahmet, prices are fixed and bargaining is not welcome.
1. Arasta Bazaar
Arasta Bazaar is located right next to the Blue Mosque. This bazaar is similar to the Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar, but unlike them, it is open. The bazaar is especially lively in spring and summer.
Arasta Bazaar has shops that have been operating for decades. Most have references in travel guides like Lonely Planet. Here you can find shops selling Iznik tiles, Turkish carpets, traditional clothes and towels.
There is a corridor leading from the middle of Arasta Bazaar to the Istanbul Mosaic Museum, where floor mosaics of the Great Palace from the Byzantine period are exhibited.
2. Grand Bazaar
Grand Bazaar can be reached from Sultanahmet via Divanyolu Caddesi or Nuruosmaniye Caddesi. Since both streets have very attractive shops, you may not wait until you reach the bazaar to shop.
Grand Bazaar is a giant labyrinth with 67 streets and more than 3000 shops. It is inevitable for first timers to get lost while shopping in the Grand Bazaar. But rest assured it will be worth it.
Istanbul’s oldest carpet shops and jewelers are found in the Grand Bazaar. Locals come to the Grand Bazaar to buy gold. In addition, fake bags and watches of famous brands can be found.
3. Spice Bazaar
Spice Bazaar can be reached by following the tramway. You can walk from Sultanahmet Tram Station to Eminonu and easily find Spice Bazaar near Galata Bridge. Turyol boats depart from Eminonu for a Bosphorus cruise in Istanbul.
Most of the shops in Spice Bazaar are similar to each other. In a typical shop you can find Turkish delight, local nuts, tea leaves, saffron and, of course, spices. There are also several souvenir and jewelry shops among them.
Since the bazaar has been recently restored, its motifs look brand new and in this sense it is more attractive than the Grand Bazaar. You can find the best street food of Istanbul around Spice Bazaar.
Conclusion
In this article, we talked about the shopping malls near Sultanahmet. Sultanahmet is, of course, among the best places to shop in Istanbul’s Old City. However, to find larger shopping centers, one has to go to districts such as Beyoglu, Sisli and Besiktas.
You can find many related articles in the shopping category of this site. For example, the article on the best shopping places in Istanbul is quite comprehensive. You may also be interested in the article about shopping malls near Taksim Square. As an alternative, the article about shopping on the Asian side is also interesting.
Written by Serhat Engul
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