71 Best Places to Shop in Turkey

Just back from the Turgutreis seafront, in the jumble of laneways, this lovely shop is a scented wonderland of beautiful hand-made soaps, Turkish bath towels, bath accessories, and other textiles, including beach towels and shawls. The owner has an Etsy shop, too.

Reached through a doorway just outside the Fesciler Kapısı (Fezmakers' Gate) at the western end of the Grand Bazaar, the Sahaflar Çarşısı is the traditional home of Istanbul's secondhand booksellers. The market now mainly houses bookshops selling new editions in Turkish, primarily school textbooks, though a handful of secondhand and rare book dealers carrying books in English and other languages, as well as prints and other ephemera, is still located here. The market is open every day.

Although the few shops inside Ankara's citadel are undeniably touristy, the strip just across from the citadel's main entrance, near the Divan Çukurhan hotel, has a handful of small boutiques selling jewelry, ceramics, handicrafts, and olive oil. From there, the area from Atpazarı Sokak down the hill toward Ulucanlar Caddesi has narrow, winding streets with shops selling antiques, handicrafts, carpets, metalwork, and other items.

Once an early Ottoman theology school, this building now houses a tile and ceramics bazaar with 10 workshops. They're grouped around a peaceful courtyard, where you can enjoy a cup of tea or a Turkish coffee.

Bodrum's handmade leather sandals are renowned, and this is a prime example of the family-run workshops that have been turning them out, in both basic and decorative styles, since 1967. Lightweight and made from specially worked leather, they're very comfortable for the Mediterranean summer and aesthetically pleasing as well. Sur have added a room of authentic international brand shoes for trekking and casual wear, and have an active online shopping website.

One of many small leather shops lined up in Adana’s lively old bazaar area, Temas Deri has been handcrafting attractive shoes, bags, wallets, and other accessories for over 30 years. If you’re going to be staying in (or returning to) the area, they can do custom orders within a few days.

One of Turkey's most established jewelry companies makes re-creations, and also chic interpretations, of ancient Anatolian designs and motifs. It has also branched out into home accessories along similar themes.

Jewelry, mugs, Turkish bath towels, notebooks, handbags, and other products by Turkish designers are for sale at reasonable prices in this friendly Kaleiçi store. It's in a century-old stone building, and it doubles as a tiny café serving coffee and pastries.

The delicate, handcrafted jewelry at Yuka is the creation of Güliz Mustafaoğlu, who uses onyx, pearls, and sapphires to punctuate her creations. Part atelier, with the tools of jewelry making prominently on display, the shop sell rings, necklaces, earrings, hair clips, and more, all in Mustafaoğlu's distinct style.

The flagship showroom of the İznik Foundation, dedicated to reviving and preserving the classic art of İznik ceramic and tile work, is in the upscale suburb of Etiler. Operating as a kind of design studio for İznik tiles, the foundation has lately worked mainly on large-scale institutional projects—ranging from metro stations and mosques in Istanbul to Hermès window displays in Paris—but also design tiles for private clients, and some individual pieces are for sale as well. Prices are high, but the quality is outstanding.