3 Best Shopping in Cappadocia and Central Turkey, Turkey

This six-floor store, on a street behind Mevlâna Caddesi, is a veritable treasure trove of collector-worthy rugs and antiques. The enormous stock includes pile upon pile of kilims and other carpets—many of them vintage—plus an extensive collection of antique carved doors and architectural pieces sourced from across Anatolia. There are also copper items, some glassware and ceramics, traditional Turkish musical instruments, handicrafts, and other funky finds.

The İrfan Medeniyeti Araştırma ve Kültür Merkezi, better known as the IRFA Center, offers an authentic look at the traditional arts of the region. The building is styled like a madrassa, with 10 small workshops surrounding an open-air courtyard. Each room is dedicated to a traditional Konya handicraft, so you can watch local artists making ebru, instruments, books, felt items, and other things. Some artists offer workshops. The building also has an indoor amphitheater dedicated to sema, with free performances on Friday and Sunday.

Just south of Mevlâna Caddesi and west of Aziziye Caddesi, Konya’s traditional bazaar quarter has been renovated, and its pedestrian streets are now lined with nearly identical-looking merchants stocking an array of goods of interest mainly to locals, including jewelry, clothes, textiles, and household items. East of Aziziye Caddesi, the tiny alleyway known as Bostan Çelebi Sokak has so far escaped the face-lift and is home to several interesting shops selling carpets, antiques, and handicrafts. Farther down Aziziye near the intersection with Karaman Caddesi lies the Kadınlar Pazarı, an indoor food bazaar with vendors of spices, dried fruit and nuts, produce, cheeses, olives, and more.