The best fashion and gift stores Turkey

Specialist in kilims, patchwork, paçmina (wool or silk), çatouk (antelope wool) and carpets (handmade). Yasar will receive you in perfect French to tell you about his passion: carpets. Don't hesitate to come in and question him as a true professional, he will tell you the origin of these different products, their uses, their meanings. There is a very large selection. If only out of curiosity and to learn a little more about these different kinds of carpets, this shop is worth a little visit.

Very well known in Turkey, it is really a reference in terms of quality. The brand is represented in several central corners of the city. The articles are quite varied. Large choice of glasses of all shapes, ashtrays, candleholders. One section is devoted to crystal tableware and another to tableware with motifs from ancient Anatolia. These sections are obviously more expensive. There are other shops in the city, especially in shopping malls. Many of the brand's products are exported to Europe.

A store that brings together classic and more original pieces. Leather jackets with skirts, with trousers, jackets, women and men, it is more than possible to find his happiness at Yoruk. The lamb remains in honour with excellent pieces. You must always negotiate a little in the stores at the Grand Bazaar. A good address.

A strange discovery in the heart of Istanbul's shopping street: a beautiful bookstore, all dressed in wood, bright and warm, in which you can sip a coffee accompanied by a mille-feuille while reading a few lines from Goethe, Pamuk or Shakespeare. Books in German, Turkish and English. It is one of the few places where you can find books in German. We love this place for its tranquility, comfortable chairs, music and welcoming staff.

Two shops face each other. The first one is devoted to carpets, kilims and embroidery, while in front of you there are ceramics, pashminas, narghilés, tea services and beautiful clothing. Ask to see the small wool mobiles in Kurdistan, hanging on the wall. Decorated with boncuk boncuk (blue eye) or a protective mirror, they are nice gifts that are not found in other shops. Modern and friendly welcome. The mascot of the place is a wall eyes of the Turkish van.

This passage is a shopping mall that offers more than 200 shops selling trendy clothes or well-known brands at bargain prices. There is also telephone equipment and leather goods. Many costume jewellery and accessories shops (unbeatable prices) are located in this passage. Good deals in sight! Take the time to visit several shops before shopping to compare prices. It is one of the most popular places in the Beşiktaş neighbourhood. To be avoided at the weekend.

According to the traditions of the time, a mosque was not only a place of worship, but also a place of life. We used to add stores to create a source of income. Thus was created, the Arasta Bazar, one of the most famous places in Istanbul in terms of souvenirs for tourists (carpets, kilims, leather, jewellery...). Smaller, it is more typical than the Grand Bazaar and less popular with tourists. The traders are less insistent.

If you like charming little neighbourhood bookstores, Nail Kitabevi is for you. In the Kuzguncuk district on the Asian bank, it is located in a beautiful wooden house around the corner, completely refurbished, with an atypical facade. It's a bookstore-café where everything has been carefully arranged. We stroll among the books, we sit on a bench to read a book or at a table to work. We drink tea or coffee with little biscuits, we talk about literature... Very nice welcome.

Opened in 2011, Demirören is a large shopping center located a stone's throw from Taksim on İstiklal avenue. The building, renovated for the occasion, boasts a deceptively old-fashioned white facade. The mall is home to some fifty boutiques, most of them international, as well as a food court and a cinema on the top floor. The main attraction: a terrace at the very top with a bird's-eye view of frenetic Istiklal Avenue. And spacious, clean toilets. Apart from that, the place isn't really interesting.

Built in the 1880s, it is one of the oldest passages on Beyoğlu. Even if it is not as active as in the past, it houses quite a few shops that might be of interest to visitors: earthenware, leather and carpets are widely available. If you like vintage, take a look at the shop in the basement: By retro. It is a real Ali Baba's cave, you will find all kinds of clothes and accessories.

Here you will find pretty glass objects (the workshop is at the back of the shop) of all sizes and colours to make small decorative pieces. Glasses, vases: the objects sold are not very typical but it gives them a rather original aspect. Far from traditional craftsmanship, but very nicely crafted, here is something to acquire souvenirs of Istanbul that change a little bit from the ordinary. Prices are displayed and new products are coming every month.

This small vinyl shop, in the heart of the Çukurcuma district, displays its particularity right from the window. Jane Birkin's 45 rpm next to The Congos' vinyl... does not stand out from the bohemian artist atmosphere of the now gentrified neighbourhood. The famous duo of DJ Deform-E, composed of Ozan Maral and Ayfun Aras, is the proud owner. Their stock of second-hand vinyls will please eclectic music lovers: 60's and 70's psychedelic rock, jazz, funk, soul, variety as well as Turkish band beads from all periods.

One of our favorite addresses. Already for the welcome, then for the content. The works are more oriented towards history, art and archaeology. Upstairs, a gallery temporarily houses the works of artists from various backgrounds. You can stop by just to take a look at the entire bookseller and the works on display. In the basement, a nice little shop where you can find, among other things, some creations by local artists. Most of the books are in Turkish but there are some books in English.

This brand has more than 100 bookstores across the country, including one in each airport, and can be found in most shopping centres. It offers a wide choice of CDs, vinyls and DVDs, classics of Turkish and foreign literature, cookery books. The store has books in English, German and French. There is a stationery department where you can buy small notebooks and everything you need to paint and draw. A small section contains a lot of foreign magazines, mainly in English.

The old Crespin Passage (Krepen Pasajı) was completely rebuilt and renovated in the 1970s. The charm of this passage comes essentially from the bookstores that are installed there. Their stalls occupy two floors and offer a wide range of old books, records, postcards and waste paper. It's a charming place to stroll around and pick up some original souvenirs. Book lovers will undoubtedly enjoy it.

This flea market is held every Sunday in the Bomonti district. It has the advantage of being calm, the shopkeepers don't shout for the customer. Second-hand clothes and shoes are available at record-breaking prices. You can sometimes have nice surprises, but you have to be patient and look for them. Those who like retro objects, old phones and kitsch teacups will find what they are looking for.

One of the oldest Ottoman passages in Beyoğlu, this place has retained much of its former charm. There is everything in this passage but especially Mrs. Katia's shop, well known in her time for her hats. Mrs. Ifigenya, his niece, took over the business. From İstiklal, once you have crossed the narrow passage, you reach a wide open courtyard, now occupied by cafés and shops selling Turkish handicrafts. During the 19th century, the passage was mainly inhabited by the Orthodox community.

This real Ali Baba cave is located in an old 17th century Koranic school. We are received by Adem in impeccable French. You will find here only artisanal products: ceramics (Iznik), mosaic lamps, hookahs, carpets, fabrics in short everything you can take home. The place is very pleasant. This place is still not very popular with tourists so you can walk and shop in peace. Beautiful things at very reasonable prices and a very warm welcome.