The shops found on the streets of Istanbul can often have better selections and lower prices than those found in the big malls. If you’re looking to go shopping during stay, then be sure to check out the following streets, areas, and districts.
Bagdat Caddesi
Here we have another renowned shopping street. 14 km long, and somewhat parallel to the Marmara Sea, there is Bagdat Avenue. It is considered a green and luxurious district, for the rich ones.
The origins of this avenue date back to the late 19th century. The first residents were upper-class families that built here mansions. Some of them still exist today and complete Bagdat’s wealthy feel. This avenue ranked 4th in the top of the world’s most famous shopping streets, made by a Paris specialized company.
Besides cafes, restaurants, and pubs, the shopping core spreads along 6 km, from Bostanci towards Kiziltoprak. There is one-way traffic, and shoppers are recommended to walk along this avenue in the traffic’s direction (starting from Bostanci).
Nisantasi
In this case, we are not talking about a shopping street, but about a whole district dedicated to shopping. It is a famous center, close to Taksim square, dedicated to sophisticated buyers.
Nisantasi is a fashionable district, with high-class residents, renowned for their good manners and education. Actually, this counts as Istanbul’s third-largest foreigner community. It all started in the 19th century when Sultan Abdulmecid I encouraged this type of residents to settle in this specific area.
The most famous, and subsequently, the most expensive, street in Nisantasi, is Abdi Ipekci. It hosts elite Turkish brands, next to famous international luxury brands like Dior, Cartier, Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Prada, etc. This shopping area combines luxury and sophistication with culture and art centers, cafes, and restaurants.
FAQ
Istiklal Caddesi is probably the largest, as it runs all the from Taksim Square to Tunel Square with every brand imaginable sold there. Abdi Ipekci Caddesi in the Nisantsi neighborhood is known for its luxury and world-famous brands from Prada to Louis Vuitton. Bagdat Caddesi has both luxurious and reasonable priced clothing stores, along with ceramic art, painting, and sculptures.
Serdar-i Ekrem Caddesi is that cool, cobblestone shopping street near the Galata Tower that’s full of boutique shops. Cukurcuma Caddesi is Istanbul’s main antique-hunting street with beautiful neoclassical houses all around. Nuruosmaniye Caddesi is where you can find fine-carpets and jewelry.
Rumeli Caddesi in the Harbiye district is famous for international brands and accessories, while Nispetiye Caddesi is very popular due to the Akmerkez mall having a large area with street-side shops.