Istanbul’s Bazaar Quarter: Backstreet Walking Tours, by Ann Marie Mershon and Edda Renker Weissenbacher, is great to have if you’re interested in getting into the guts of Istanbul.
The full-color guide is a handy size for walking, and includes four walking tours through the bazaars, from the Grand Bazaar all the way downhill to the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar.
The dozens of maps and hundreds of photosmake it easy for you to make your way through the maze of streets, and to identify the landmarks described in the guide.
Notable structures from Istanbul‘s Byzantineand Ottoman past are marked and described, with details on their colorful histories. A handyhistorical timeline at the back of the book helps you to keep it all straight.
The authors go well beyond just describing streets and buildings, however. They go into the hans (caravanserais and workshops) and introduce you to the artisans who work here. They show you how they pursue their traditional crafts with photos of individual craftsmenwith their names, and picture the items that result. You really get into the craft and culture of Istanbul’s bazaars.
(For a simpler walking tour to whet your appetite, see my Istanbul Bazaars Walking Tour.)
Pick up your copy at any of these Istanbul bookshops, or order online:
Istanbul’s Bazaar Quarter: Backstreet Walking Tours
by Ann Marie Mershon and Edda Renker Weissenbacher
ISBN 978-9944-424-59-2, 182 pages with photos, TL30, US$29.95
Istanbul: Çitlembik Publications, Şehbender Sokak 18/4, Asmalımescit, Tünel, 34430 Istanbul, Turkey Click here to order.
USA: Nettleberry LLC, 44030 123rd Street, Eden SD 57232. Click here to order.
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