Istanbul - Grand Bazaar

On a brilliant and sunny Tuesday, we set our sights on Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.  We walked through the Hippodrome and admired the German gazebo from below before winding our way up Divan Yolu Caddesi.

We spotted an El Torito Mexican restaurant along the way and couldn't believe our eyes.  El Torito was our favorite Mexican place back in the US when we first moved to California.  Out of curiosity, I checked the menu and it seemed to be the same chain as judged by the logo and sweet corn cake on the menu.  We kept on walking since we didn't come to Turkey to eat Mexican food no matter how much nostalgia it might inspire.

We approached the entrance to the Grand Bazaar from a quiet side street.

Inside, vendors spilled from every corner into the yellow-domed passage.

We allowed ourselves to get a bit lost inside and had a grand time shopping for pashminas and other Turkish favorites.

We passed into the deep interior of the market which seemed to be the oldest part and was topped with brick domes.

We stepped outside into a lovely courtyard.

Back inside, we wound our way back through the yellow-topped halls to the exit.

We spotted a vendor selling boiled corn from a cart and decided to give it a try as a pre-lunch snack.  Covered with butter and salt, it was actually quite tasty.  Yum!