Kusadasi Shopping

This section of the market which is at the bottom of the hill is crammed full of stalls selling beautifuly fresh fruit and veg with the biggest tomatoes i have ever seen, there more like red footballs than tomatoes hahahaha, try the peaches there so sweet and juicy, just like my wife hehehehe.

What to buy: The tomatoes and peaches are full of flavour.

Kusadasi market is held on a friday and sells everything you can think of, And has got to be the biggest market i have ever seen. It starts at the bottom of a hill at the far end of Kusadasi town, and winds its way up hill passing fruit and veg, olives, cheeses, honey, live stock, spices, and loads, loads, more. This photo shows the staggering amount of olives on offer, they are quite happy for you to try the olives before you buy them.

Not far from the port of Kusadasi is their "grand bazaar." Plenty of jewelry, leather, pashmina and food/tea shops--you will surely have your pick. Just be sure to bargain with the merchants, and also know that they can be very pushy! Some even tried to trick us into coming into their store by having a good looking "decoy" sitting outside trying to talk to us. Once we were roped in the store owner would try to get us inside the shop--unfortunately for them I used to sell jewelry and do not need any more!!

What to buy: Silver, gold, apple tea, pashminas, hand bags and leather jackets, belly dancer outfits...those are the type of shops you will see the most of.

What to pay: Merchants will be happy if you buy from them, so use your bargaining skills to talk them down to a reasonable price that YOU want to spend!!!

Venture in to the typical Turkish casbah, selling everything from clothes to rugs to jewelery to electronics (and some excellent designer knockoffs!). But be prepared to be hassled as you walk around by the shopkeepers and absolutely do not be afraid to walk out of a shop.

What to pay: Shops along the main alleyways charge a little more than those away from the centre because they pay higher rent.

Shop till you drop, might have been meant for Kusadasi. There is the Orient Bazaar, with the wild bargaining for rugs, the Grand Bazaar with the unmistakable scent of leather drawing you in to bargain for that jacket you spotted. The downtown streets are filled with vendors and the delicious candy that is the turkish delights.

What to buy: Anything Leather, jackets, purses, gloves, then there are the oriental rugs with very steep prices but they last lifetimes. Jewelery is very big and many jewelers line the street Barbaros.

What to pay: Bring your savings to buy, buy , buy after the haggling is over. You will be pleased with your purchases.

It's general, but this is it :)
You have to experience this yourself!

In 1461 Sultan Mehmet II built the first bazaar of wood. After several fires the bazaar was reconstructed in 1894. Today the dome building surrounded by a wall, occupies an area of 200,000 square meters. Approximately 5,000 shops are spread out in a giant labyrinth of small streets and passages, which are mostly arranged according to their trades : rugs, antiques, gold, silver, leather etc. It is also a place where you can find good bargains on these goods. For shopping it is a must stop.

Kusadasi offers one of the largest shopping bazaar in Turkey, with well over 1000 Jewelery, Leather, Carpet and Souvenier shops. Shops in Kusadasi are open 7 days a week from 9 in the morning till midnight ! Bargaining during shopping is a must and having a drink while bargaining is a tradition. Hand made Turkish Carpets, soft leather jackets and exquisite jewels are among the most seeked items by visitors. The main reason for such trend is the low price and high quality of these items. Almost all of the shops accept credit cards, travelers checks and any major currencies. Most products come with manufacturer's warranty and you may return them within a certain time period. Salesmen and saleswomen are very friendly and speak most of the major languages.

Grand Bazaar is the biggest shopping center , situated near the Kusadasi Harbour. Every hour of the day it is very crowded. You can find a big variety of leather clothes, gold jewelry and many souvenirs in the shops which are located side by side. Bargaining is necessary!!

What to buy: leather clothes, jackets, you can win a very good price(!), gold jewelry, traditional turkish clothes as souvenir.

I always buy spices from Turkey, as i can find some rare ones, we dont have in Greece. Some of them are:
Turkish Curry,they use this especially for chicken
Black Cumin, they use on the top of bread before cook.
Turkish Suffran, they use this in fish, rice and tea
Sumac, they use this for salads
You can find also some unusual mixed spices.