Selling in Istanbul: the Grand Bazaar

Part 2 of 5: The Grand Bazaar

Istanbul’s sprawling Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest covered markets in the world. More than 3,000 shops line 61 covered streets and serve between 250,000 and 400,000 customers daily. Open six days a week, the vendors here serve more than 112 million visitors annually.

Located in the historic district and easy to reach by inexpensive public transit, a two-car train-like tram zips back and forth within a block. Convenient Istanbul cards (magnetic stripe travel cards) can be purchased at newsstands or vending machines and debited with however much you care to load. Fees are per-ride and nominal.

History (650+ years and counting)

The construction of what became the Grand Bazaar’s core began during the winter of 1455/56, shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. Sultan Mehmet II ordered a slopeside edifice erected for the trading of textiles on the third hill of Istanbul, near the Old Palace, which was also in construction.

Five years later the building was finished. It was endowed to the control of the nearby Aya Sofya Mosque, which still stands as a breathtaking, must-visit museum. Aya Sofya is a spectacular building said to have “changed architecture forever.” Visit and you will understand why. Given its time in construction history, the enormity of the jaw-dropping project defies modern belief.

Nearby to the newly constructed textile bazaar were markets for slaves, second-hand goods, books, and a variety of things sold along the “Long Market”—a lengthy portico mall that was one of Istanbul’s main commerce areas.

A century later a second covered market was built north of the first. The textile trade moved, leaving the first bazaar specialized for luxury goods. Although the two buildings were isolated, other sellers quickly opened shops between and around them, which effectively created an entire quarter devoted exclusively to commerce.

It took 50 more years for the Grand Bazaar to morph into its final shape. The enormous extent of the Ottoman Empire in three continents, and the total control of road communication between Asia and Europe, rendered the Grand Bazaar the hub of Mediterranean trade. It would remain that way for the next 250 years.

No market in Europe could match the abundance, variety, and quality of goods for sale. The Grand Bazaar was huge, square, and easy to navigate. Two perpendicular main roads crossed in the middle and a third road ran along the outer perimeter. Inside that perimeter were 67 streets, each bearing the name of the sellers of a particular good, which helped with organization and navigation.

Eighteen gates opened in the morning and closed in the evening. Several squares and five mosques were used for daily prayers.

In the mid-1600s, the Grand Bazaar numbered 3,000 shops. Another 300 surrounded the inner courtyard, where goods were stored and merchants could lodge. Ten percent of all shops in Istanbul were concentrated at the Bazaar, even though the market was not yet covered.

As you might expect, calamities common to the times—fires and earthquakes—hit the Grand Bazaar just as they did other areas of the city. Fourteen major fires remodeled the place between 1515 and 1791. A powerful earthquake caused major damage in the late 18^th century. The last major catastrophe happened in 1894, caused by a strong earthquake. The rebuild reduced the bazaar’s footprint.

In the 1800s the textile industry grew in Western Europe, fueled largely by the introduction of mass production methods. Europe held the local merchants hostage for raw materials, and squeezed them so much that rents dropped to 10 percent of what they were during the boom times of two decades before.

For local minority vendors like Greeks, Armenians, and Jews—whose ways were now perceived as antiquated—the birth of a west-oriented bourgeoisie and the commercial success of the western products meant their days were numbered. Soon they were pushed out of Bazaar. It took just 20 years for the handlers of textile goods to be ruined by European competition.

Shortly after the Republic of Turkey was formed in the early twentieth century, the individual parts of the bazaar and all 61 streets were officially named. The last fires occurred in 1943 and 1954, with restorations completed in 1959.

The most recent restoration of the Grand Bazaar took place in 1980, at which time advertising posters that defaced the market were removed and banned to improve its external appearance.

Unlike Athens, Istanbul is not a graffiti town. It is clean and orderly and prideful. Although the Grand Bazaar has had to reinvent itself for centuries, it maintains its traditional role as Istanbul’s epicenter for foot traffic, tourism, and curious shoppers.

Social history of the Grand Bazaar

Until the restoration following the quake of 1894, the Grand Bazaar had no “shops” as westerners know them. Merchants lined both sides of the road and each was allocated a space 6-to-8 feet long and 3-to-4 feet deep. They sat on wooden divans in front of their shelves.

The most precious merchandise was kept in cabinets and not on display. Clothes were hanged in long rows, with a colorful, picturesque effect. This tradition continues today.

Prospective clients would sit and talk with the dealer while drinking tea or Turkish coffee. It was a relaxed, non-pressured environment for both buyer and seller.

At the end of the day’s business, each stall was closed with drapes.

Advertising did not exist, and traders of similar goods were concentrated. The interior of the bazaar held the most precious wares like jewelry, armor, and crystal. Among the most picturesque parts of the market was the shoe market, where thousands of colored shoes were earmarked for Turks (who wore only yellow), Greeks (blue), Jews (black), and Armenians (red). The spice and herbs market (later moved and concentrated in the Egyptian Bazaar) was near the jewelers, the armor and weapon market, the old book market, and the flea market.

This disciplined organization gradually disappeared, although today similar businesses are once again lined along certain roads. In the modern Bazaar, these product types are clustered:

• Jewelers and gold bracelets
• Furniture
• Carpets
• Leather goods
• Leather and casual clothes
• Antiques.

The main reason for concentrating similar products was to maximize security. Gates were closed nightly, after which guards hired by the merchants patrolled the Bazaar.

Despite the immense wealth present in the Grand Bazaar, for centuries theft was rare. The most notorious occurred in 1591, when 30,000 gold coins were stolen in a brazen theft that shocked all of Istanbul.

The Bazaar was ordered closed for two weeks and people were tortured. The money was finally found under floor matting. The culprit was a young Persian who sold musk; and thanks to the sultan’s intercession he was executed by hanging instead of torture.

How business operated

Until the mid-1800s the ethics of trade in the Grand Bazaar were radically different from how business operate today. Most significantly:

1. There was an indifference to profit.
2. There was an absence of envy in the successes of other traders.
3. And a single, correct price was always honored.

Reasons why were due to two things: the ethics of Islam and the merchant’s guild system, which provided a strong social security net to its members. Later, Ottoman business practices would change due to the westernization of society and the influence of the national minorities.

During 19^th century westernization the Grand Bazaar became a popular love object for many famous writers, who wrote florid and fascinating descriptions of the working of the Grand Bazaar.

Surprisingly the Bazaar had no restaurants. The absence of women in the social life and the nomadic conventions of Turkish society made the concept of a restaurant somewhat alien. Even today the area remains a male dominated environment.

Merchants were men and men ate simply. They brought their lunch in a food box and the only food items on sale were simple things like kebabs and Turkish coffee. These basic offerings were prepared and served in small two-story kiosks placed in the middle of a road, foodstuffs of convenience and not of pleasure.

The most famous of these kiosks still exists but no longer functions. Legend has it that Sultan Mahmut II went there often, in disguise, to buy and eat some pudding.

Bazaar’s merchants were organized in guilds, comprised of members who traded the same goods. New members entered the guild as the son of a deceased member or after paying a suitable sum to a member who wanted to retire.

Each guild had a financial department that collected a moderate monthly fee from the members and administered it to cover the needs of each associated person. The guilds lost their importance over time and were abolished in 1913, replaced by an association of bazaar merchants.

Today the Grand Bazaar has several merchant associations. None represents the entire seller community.

Social value

During the Ottoman Age the Grand Bazaar was where the Istanbullus could see each other. The market was the only place in town where the ladies could go relatively easily, a fact not lost on visiting Europeans. It was also the only public place where the average citizen had a chance to meet casually the members of the Harem and the Court. The starpower draw of the venue helped sustain its popularity.

Today the Grand Bazaar is the biggest tourist attraction in Istanbul. You are far more likely to meet another tourist than a member of high society.

The Grand Bazaar today

The Grand Bazaar remains a thriving complex, employing 26,000 people who serve between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors. The market opens at 9 AM and closes at 7 PM. It is closed only on Sundays and bank holidays.

Although one of Istanbul’s major landmarks, the Grand Bazaar is facing increasingly tough competition. Giant malls are rising everywhere throughout Istanbul, and they are popular; but the Grand Bazaar’s history, beauty, sensory overload, chaos, and fascination represent a formidable differentiator compared to the elevator music of a generic mall experience.

According to the head of the Grand Bazaar Artisans Association, in 2011—the year of its 550th birthday—the Istanbul Grand Bazaar was most visited monument in the world.

This year a restoration project will renew its infrastructure to improve creature comforts such as heating and lighting. This project should also finally solve one of the market’s biggest problems: nowhere in the entire Grand Bazaar facility is there a proper toilet facility.

Structurally the Grand Bazaar is at risk if and when the next big quake hits. Throughout the years many dealers have removed columns and walls to gain space. Together with the substitution of (since stolen) lead with concrete on the market’s roof, the Grand Bazaar is now perceived at great risk of destruction whenever the earthquake arrives.

The buyer’s experience

But until the quake arrives, more than a hundred million shoppers each year will be besieged by quota-bearing merchants using multiple sales techniques the moment they walk through one of the 18 entry arches.

Her are eight things to keep in mind if you visit the Grand Bazaar:

1. Be prudent. Protect against pickpockets. Take precautions before you enter. Then relax and enjoy the chaos.
2. Have fun. Arrive with a smile, be willing to exchange lighthearted banter with the merchants, and stay upbeat with your interactions. You are one of a quarter-million. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
3. Shop with a plan. Even if your plan is to simply experience the Grand Bazaar, stick to it: Execute your plan. Except for the antiques, there are no “sole source” suppliers in the Grand Bazaar. Multiple vendors sell everything that catches your eye, so the first time through—price shop. Second time around, pick your favorite vendor and negotiate. Unless price doesn’t matter, do not buy on impulse.
4. The vendors have sales quotas. The “trinkets and trash” revenues of souvenir barkers rely on a pure percentage close: ask enough tourists to buy and someone will. Merchants are streetwise survivalists who’ve dealt with thousands of people like you. If you have interest in their offerings, talk to them. Talk is free. If not, a polite “No thanks” works quite nicely.
5. You will experience different sales approaches, based upon the product. Expect this. Do not let style clashes bother you. For example, the Grand Bazaar houses a wide range of both commodity items (“trinkets and trash”) and value-based items such as jewelry, furniture, carpets, and antiques. Commodity hawkers will treat you differently than value suppliers. For the most part, Istanbul sales approaches are very “old school.” They are brusque, abrupt, and to the point. You will hear, “Want to buy a leather jacket?” at least three dozen times. Merchants ask direct, closing questions for what they want. Get used to it.
6. Merchants are superb people readers. These folks see millions of people with money in their pockets. Within seconds a good merchant can read everything he needs to know about you. This only matters when it comes time to negotiate a deal. Their initial asking price will be high. Yours can be low. Decide what the item is worth to you and do not go above the number. If you have trolled the market and comparatively priced the same item in a half-dozen shops, you will have a feel for what it’s worth. Negotiate from there.
7. Remember what success looks like. Success is a price you both can live with.
8. Never take negotiating personally. The merchant must make a profit. Theirs is a hard life. Respect that. To us it’s a game. To them? A livelihood. When it comes to money, it is always okay to respectfully disagree.

Product groupings

In the Grand Bazaar, these product types are clustered:

• Jewelers and gold bracelets
• Furniture
• Carpets
• Leather goods
• Leather and casual clothes
• Antiques.

A bajillion other commodity products are sprinkled liberally throughout. Remember: If you see something you like, many merchants carry it! Retain control of the decision-making process. Do not get fast-talked into a quick or uneducated decision.

What to expect when shopping for different items

Jewelers and gold bracelets.Value sale. The Grand Bazaar glitters. Know your stuff or caveat emptor (buyer beware). These merchants are master hagglers who know how to buy and sell and will close you for a buying decision. You have a myriad of options in the Bazaar. If you want some bling, do your homework. Do not buy on the initial visit.

Furniture. Value sale. There are furniture deals to be found throughout the Bazaar, so take your time and hunt. You will not get the pressure here you will in other booths. Merchants have their quotas to hit, but they know high-pressure tactics will scare off a limited pool of buyers; and since fewer buyers are required to hit their quota, the merchant’s focus is maximizing his “hit rate.” His hit rate is his percentage of purchasers divided by his number of prospects. In other words, he will want to win a good percentage of opportunities. For many Westerners, these will be more comfortable shops to visit than commodity vendors who care about quantity, not hit rates.

Carpets. Big money value sale. “Come in, sit down, let’s have tea, and talk.” This will be a very traditional, unrushed play. The merchant will want to gauge how much (or little) you know about carpet weaving, carpets, and value. Good carpets are very expensive. If you plan to make a significant investment in a beautiful rug, you may want to use the Grand Bazaar as a learning ground. There are better places in Istanbul to make a buy decision; and you may want to engage a specialist if you are willing to thousands on a gorgeous investment.

The carpet sales cycle will be steered from a disarming, friendly, service-centric approach toward an assumptive sale, where the merchant behaves as though you are definitely purchasing a carpet. The only remaining issues are which one and for how much?

Do not get bullied into caving to yes in an assumptive sale. You owe no one anything, regardless how long you have bonded in the shop over tea and talk—and it may be hours. In many ways, carpet merchants are like exotic dancers: At work they love you. But if you have no money or will not spend it, you have no use.

Even if you find a carpet you like at a price you are willing to pay, you may want to sleep before pulling the trigger. Sometimes the romance of the moment can cause buyer’s remorse, especially when dealing with more money than we hoped to pay.

Leather goods. Commodity products. The Turks are known for fine leatherwork. Salespeople will be aggressive. Remember: Everything is sold by more than one merchant. Expect to get fast-talked to a buying decision, typically starting with, “You are buying, I am selling. What is it worth to you?” If you toss out a number, the game is on. Never pay asking price. You have similar merchants in every direction willing to give you a discount.

Leather and casual clothes. Commodity products, usually imported (except for leather). Similar to buying clothes anywhere, except for Turkish leather, which has multiple grades of quality and workmanship. There are a trillion clothing options in the Grand Bazaar. Take your time, look around, and if you see something you like—try it on, regardless what size it says. If you like it, haggle. Merchants will push you for yes and push you for multiple purchases. Turks do not dress in a stylish or colorful way. Nearly everyone you see will wear blue jeans with black. Most clothes are imported.

Antiques. Value products. Compared to the noise and chaos of the trinkets-and-trash vendors by the gates, visiting quiet Antique row—my favorite part of the Bazaar—is like visiting the library. The vendors are polite and courteous. Some are willing to deal; others will stick close to their asking price. This is fine, because the value of any antique is what someone is willing to pay. This is unrushed shopping with interesting things. Take the time to enjoy a wide variety of offerings, most of which you have never seen. You will not be pressured. The merchants want to make a sale but no one in the antique business lives or dies by one transaction.

Trinkets and other commodities. Loud noise, fast-talking, yes-or-no, will-you-take-it techniques typify these merchants. When you walk through the gate and enter the fray, you are the flake of fish food dropped in the aquarium. You will be swarmed. Smile and survive it. All the commodity items are sold 100 places. Westerners often find this annoying and let it sour their opinion of the entire Bazaar. It shouldn’t. This is pure “by the numbers” selling by high-pressure street people.

Do not let the pestering chaos of the moment ruin your Grand Bazaar experience. The trinkets-and-trash merchants are the carnival barkers. Wade their gauntlet with good humor and press on to enjoy areas of greater interest.

In summary

The Grand Bazaar is over 650 years old. If in Istanbul, you should go. But if you go, stay alert and have realistic expectations of what the Bazaar is and is not: It is not a mall, it is chaos created by 26,000 street-smart workers trying to finagle a sliver of disposable income from a quarter-million guests.

Enjoy it and have fun.

 

 

Tomorrow:

Part 3 of 5

The Egyptian Spice Bazaar