Antalya province is a major tourist hub where people come to enjoy the blue, pristine waters, golden-sand beaches, and lively historical sites. However, did you know Antalya is also a popular destination among visitors for shopping?
Antalya is home to a large and traditional market area that has been in existence for hundreds of years. The market offers a variety of shopping options, including famous markets, spice markets, and old bazaars where you can find diverse products such as leather goods, Turkish eye amulets, hubble bubble pipes, blue-glazed nazar bancouğu, and all kinds of souvenirs. Additionally, you can purchase fresh fruits, Turkish delight, spices, all types of tea, and traditional feta cheese at reasonable prices.
Exploring Antalya Bazaar Markets Area
Antalya's traditional market area (çarşı) is conveniently located just inland from Kalekapısı along Kazım Özalp Street (formerly—and still sometimes nowadays—called Şarampol Caddesi). Kalekapısı is a central location in Antalya, located just 10 minutes walking distance from the popular accommodation and historical old town district of Antalya.
When you reach Kalekapısı, you have various options for exploring Antalya's bazaars since it is the central location for navigating the city's market area.
How to Reach Kalekapısı
If you want to go to Kalekapısı, there are a few ways to get there. You can take a public bus, as many of them stop near Kalekapısı. Alternatively, you can use Antalya's modern tramway, AntRay, which takes you very close to Kalekapısı. You could also choose to first visit Markantalya, Antalya's modern shopping center, and then take a 30-minute walk or a short taxi ride to reach Kalekapısı.
After you decide on how to reach Kalekapısı and get near, look for the statue of Attalus, the king of Pergamum for whom Antalya (Attaleia) was named. The statue across the street from the stone clock tower of Kalekapısı will signal your arrival.
Antalya's Market Area: Dönerciler Çarşısı
Behind Attalus is Kazım Özalp Caddesi (also known as Dönerciler Çarşısı), a pedestrian-only street pleasant for a stroll and some window shopping. Here, you can spot many döner kebab sellers, small gift shops, ice cream vendors, and Turkish dessert vendors. Also, the street is a lively scene with clothing and shoe shops and boutiques selling ladies' accessories, electronics, games, toys, and pretty much everything imaginable at affordable prices. In the first block from Kalekapısı, there are several currency exchange offices, helpful if you need to change money. Shop around for the best rates—they can vary greatly—and watch out for counterfeit banknotes.
Antalya's Market Area: Kaleiçi (Old Town)
Other good shopping and strolling streets include the boulevard that passes Hadrian's Gate and the narrow streets of Kaleiçi, which you will reach if you walk towards the cobblestone roads leading down the hills, visible from the Kalekapısı.
Kaleiçi is kind of like an oriental (orient) bazaar, so you'll mostly find small souvenirs, antiques, and Turkish carpets. Just keep in mind that prices here might be a bit higher than in other places. However, shopping while navigating through the narrow cobblestone streets and traditional houses of Kaleiçi is definitely an adventure one must partake in.
Moreover, Kaleiçi has numerous shops and boutiques where you can buy jewelry, souvenirs, and unique items to bring home. The area is filled with lush flowers and kiosks selling juices, Turkish ice cream, and snacks.
While you are in Kaleiçi, remember to take advantage of your time to visit Hadrian's Gate, Karaalioğlu Park, Roman Harbor, and local churches and mosques, some of which were originally Roman temples.
Antalya's Market Area: Old Bazaar
As you walk from Kalekapısı in the first block of Kazim Özalp Caddesi, more or less to the right (east) of the Attalus statue, there is a warren of tiny lanes close-packed with little shops, mostly selling jewelry and souvenirs. This was Antalya's central bazaar for many years—the city's prime market for food and, indeed, for everything else as well.
Today, Antalya's Old Bazaar still serves as a good place for shopping. Here, you can find a small spice market and various clothing shops that sell spices and replica pieces of international brands at low prices.
While you are in Old Bazaar, take advantage of your location to visit Antalya's Republic Square, where you can spot some of the most breathtaking scenery in Antalya. Also, the famous Nostalgic Tram of Antalya passes through the square, which you can take to reach both Hadrian's Gate (and thus, Kaleiçi) and Konyaltı Beach.
Tom Brosnahan, updated by Can Turan, photos by Sonia Anand
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