Please note that it is strictly forbidden to export antiquities or antiques from Turkey and there are severe penalties for those who attempt to do so. In order to export such items legally it is necessary to obtain a certificate from a directorate of a museum.
Like all in nearly tourist regions of Mediterranean, Turkey is a fantastic vacation country, nice people, nice Food, nice weather. Shop for handwoven rugs and kilims, leather and suede items, ceramics, silk, jewelry, alabaster, onyx, embroidery, brass samovars, meerschaum pipes and copperware and brassware. Some vendors in the markets employ quite aggressive selling techniques, so brace yourself. You’ll be offered many “antiques,” but most likely they’re fakes.
If you do want to buy an antique or any item that may be deemed a cultural artifact, make sure you can get an official permit to export it before you purchase it. Those who don’t have a permit sometimes end up in jail (this is increasingly rare), but are most likely to have their treasures confiscated at customs, even when the treasures are of no real antiquity. This even applies to new pine furniture, so always get a certificate Turkish officials have a great respect for stamped and signed pieces of paper.
Useful Tipps For Shopping in Turkey
Shopping Hours
Monday – Saturday 9 am-1 pm and 2-7 pm.
Banking Hours
Monday – Friday 8:30 am-noon and 1:30-5 pm.
Shopping in Cash: It is ideal, if you carry sufficient EU or USD forward in small lights and exist with the salesman on return of the change in turkish Lira.
Shopping with Credit Cards: When large acquisitions such as decoration, which one is otherwise gladly paid with credit card all largest country.
Bargaining and Shopping is part of Turkish culture. Before you purchase anything, try to get the prices down as low as possible. In most cases, just leave the shop or vendor and pretend to walk away, you will be probably invited back to his shop by the vendor asking what would be your best offer. Then, feel free to declare your own price for your purchase. Usually, bargaining margin starts from 10 % and may go up to 40%.
Do not push more than possible, this will cause you to under estimate the value of the good. Bargaining could only be done in touristy areas, in local towns or new city and modern shopping malls no bargaining is possible.
The Grand Bazaar, or Kapalicarsi in Istanbul is a unique combination of fantastic merchandise and a memorable shopping experience. The Grand Bazaar is a maze of some 4,000 shops, selling treasures of every type. Still the commercial center of the old city, the Grand Bazaar’s 80 roads and streets form the original shopping mall.