Head towards Rustempasha mosque, away from the Egyptian Bazaar or Spice Market. You'll find twisty streets full of tiny shops, including many selling wooden implements such as paddles for pide ovens, huge sieves, forks and spoons. The spice shops here are half the price of the Egyptian market, too, and if you're lucky you'll see the hamals (market porters) at work, or find a cubbyhole selling cay (tea) inside one of the old han courtyards.

Around Rustempasha mosque, Eminonu

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The price of alcohol is very high, with an average bottle of Turkish wine costing about 32 lira or £14.

The imported vodka, whiskey, wine etc is equally exorbitant in price due to high taxes.

Just a word of warning in case people think Istanbul is like one of the resorts!

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If you want to buy some tea glasses, head for this shop just behind the Spice Bazaar. There's a wide range and, as it isn't a tourist-oriented shop, you can buy them cheaply and individually (thus avoiding the overpriced sets a few metres away in the Bazaar).

Go out of the exit at the junction of the 2 sections of the Spice Bazaar and turn right.

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Ortaköy is an area of Istanbul on the European side of the Bosphorous just under the first bridge.

There are many cafes and little shops in which to poke around but they are a little more expensive than the norm.

Despite this you can sit with a drink, watch the boats glide past, and admire the bridge which is lovely by day or night. Heaven!

Ortaköy is very easy to get to from any central area. Buses or minibuses going up the Bosphorous coast road all pass through it and a taxi from Taksim will cost about 10 lira. Ferries go there and if you cannot get one to Ortaköy then go to Beşiktaş and get a minibus for the remaining 2 km.

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If you like strong, flavoursome coffee you'll love Turkish coffee. It is the perfect way to end a meal, particularly when accompanied by some Baklava.

If you want to buy coffee to take home with you I would recommend Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi (Tahmis Caddesi 66, very near the Spice Bazaar). Smells lovely and tastes even better.

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The Book Bazaar is in a lovely little courtyard just off Beyazit Square and near the Grand Bazaar.

The stalls and shops sell a mixture of different books from tourist guides, textbooks to bestsellers and magazines. There are also some fantastic places to buy prints, pictures and calligraphy.

The clientele seems to be a mix of students from the nearby university, locals and tourists.
A great place to wander and browse.

Please note that all prices are fixed so no haggling.

Sahaflar Carsisi Sok, Beyazit

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Noisy, busy, easy to get lost in, hard to get out of but always fun.

If you enjoy shopping and bargaining you'll love it. If you find bargaining and being approached by people a little uncomfortable then the Grand Bazaar is probably not for you.

Yes, it's very touristy. There are endless shops selling apple tea classes, Turkish coffee cups, belly dancing outfits etc. However you can also buy beautiful jewellery, fine fabrics, good value leather goods and, of course, carpets and kilims.

The shop keepers can be persistent but are always hospitable. Often an invitation into a shop will be accompanied by an offer of apple tea or Turkish coffee. If you don't want to buy anything just politely refuse. If you do, then get set to bargain. Offer about half the asking price, or below, and work from there. Have in your mind what you want to pay and stick to it.
Remember, always be polite. And if you do get exhausted with haggling there are plenty of little cafes to sit down in, have a drink and admire the bargains you've bought.

There are various entry points to the bazaar including Nuruosmaniye Gate, near the Nuruosmaniye Mosque and Beyazit Gate, near the book bazaar and Beyazit Square

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The Spice Bazaar or Misir Carsisi (Egyptian Bazaar, because taxes from the sale of Egyptian imports were used to help finance it) is a colourful mix of sights, sounds and smells. Much smaller and more accessible than the Grand Bazaar, it is equally as busy. Traders will tempt you into their shops with a tray of Turkish delight and once inside you can peruse an array of spices, sweets, nuts and teas.

A good place to shop for gifts to take home. Or some apple tea to accompany the tea glasses you buy at the Grand Bazaar.

The streets around the Spice Market, particularly leading up to the Grand Bazaar, are a crowded, vibrant noisy, confusion of people, shops, stalls and carts.

Cami Meydani Sok/Yeni Cami Cadessi; Open: 9.00am-6.00pm closed Sunday

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A chocolatiere. They have been making the best profiterole to my knowledge since 1923. The owner claims that he took the original recipe from either Paris or Vienna, and modified it. For anyone who cares for chocolate, it is a real treat.

Enter Istiklal Caddesi, aka Beyoglu, from Taksim. It will be on your right, after the French Consulate and some stores. It is a hole in the wall but any local will be happy to point it

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The colours, the smells, the crowds. A vibrant, hyperreal place. Much more exciting than the rather touristy grand bazaar (not to say that's not worth a visit). Actually full of locals doing their everyday shopping. And the sweets are delicious.

Go down the hill from the Grand Bazaar towards the Golden Horn

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The Grand Bazaar is another experience not to be missed although somewhat daunting if large crowds aren’t your thing.

Here you can buy practically any type of merchandise from authentic rugs, to leather goods and jewellery. Haggling is obligatory of course, but beware of pickpockets.

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If Byzantine mosaics simply aren't blinging enough for you, leave the tourist trail behind and head to the super swanky Bagdat Caddesi, Istanbul's Bond Street.

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This is a patisserie cum ice cream shop in Istiklal Caddesi. The ice cream is wonderful and comes in many flavours. The traditional sticky pastries are very nice too. The staff are very helpful.

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A pursuit dear to the hearts of many foreign visitors to Istanbul is the hunt for an authentic Turkish carpet. Of course, everyone who has ever sought to nab one has experienced, or at least heard of, woeful tales of deception, misrepresentation, false threading and just too much free tea for the trouble.

That said, a little advice picked up from the experts in the business might be useful.

When looking for carpets, be sure to look around and compare before committing (a little home study before arriving is great too). Try to look for shops with serious tradition (family-owned is a good sign) and an attested reputation; such firms are keen to keep up their business and good name and enjoy repeat business- another good indicator.

Further, you'll be wise to demand Turkish rugs only, with certification. The last few years have seen a proliferation of cheap, mass-produced carpets from Afghanistan and Pakistan passed off as the real thing.

Third, avoid the touts and well-attired persuaders strategically located nearby the prime tourist sites; they are working on commission and not particularly scrupulous.

Now that you know what to look out for, where to go?

The Grand Bazaar is of course the prime place for shoppers (though not the only), teeming with over 4,000 shops of all kinds. Although there are many excellent carpet dealers, one unique and rather hip one is Ethnicon, a small but now quite well known outlet offering unique “fusion” rugs and wall hangings, or "kilims."

The vision of the company was to cater to an emerging market (the modern urban interior of varying degrees of minimalism) while at the same time addressing an acute need: the increasing scarcity of antique carpets coming from Anatolian family collections, which have gone from a flood to a trickle over the past 20 years.

To get around this lack, Ethnicon decided to use what was to be found from damaged antique partial carpets, nomad tent coverings, soft casings, scraps and so on, patching them all together through a 15-step process. The result is alluring rugs and wall decorations that combine old ingredients with modern deco tastes. With widespread media attention, the Ethnicon style has become a brand in its own right.

Ethnicon- Grand Bazaar, Kapalýcarsý Takkeciler Sok. 58-60

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Tourists should visit the Kapali Carsi (Grand Bazaar). The shop owners try to catch tourists' attention with calls. It’s a unique experience.

On the other hand, in the Tahtakale market district, workers shout and make jokes with each other. You can find a variety of fantastic objects here.

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