Scents of Istanbul: Spices, Tea and Timeless Sweets

Spices, tea and sweets. In the heart of Istanbul, where streets weave together like an immense tapestry, the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı, “covered market”) was born more than five centuries ago. Between 1455 and 1461, Sultan Mehmed II, having just conquered Constantinople, envisioned a space where trade could flourish like the gardens of his palace. The first building, the Cevâhir Bedesten, safeguarded jewels, silks, and precious objects from the elements.

From Trading Hub to a City Under One Roof

Streets around it began to specialize: some for gold, others for textiles, and others for spices arriving from Aleppo and Egypt. The bazaar grew like a living organism, becoming a city under one roof, with domes filtering the light and passages where each corner reveals a new color, aroma, and voice.

Aromas, Flavors, and Treasures

Mountains of cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and saffron blend with spices, tea and sweets. Black teas, apple tea, rose tea, or mint tea take the palate from Anatolia to the Black Sea. In the shop windows, baklava with green pistachios and golden honey competes with Turkish delights, dried figs, walnuts, and stuffed dates.

Mosaic lamps hang like constellations, Persian carpets in red, blue, and ocher tell woven stories, and hand-painted ceramics preserve the memory of generations of artisans.

The Art of Selling and Sharing

The typical vendor is a storyteller who greets visitors with a smile and a steaming glass of Turkish tea (çay). Skilled in bargaining, speaking words in many languages, they know the visitor seeks an experience, not just an object. Tea, served in curved glass cups, is a bridge to friendship; spices are the essence of Turkish cuisine; and baklava, a national symbol of patience and celebration.

Visiting the Istanbul market is crossing a bridge between centuries: inhaling aromas that tell stories, tasting spices, tea and sweets that once traveled by caravans and ships, and listened to voices that have bargained and laughed for generations.