Turkey is a true shopping paradise
You can buy leather, gold, carpets, textiles and glasses here at particularly low prices. Caution is advised with cameras, perfumes and hen, as very often imitations are offered that are not recognizable as such at first glance. You should think twice before buying branded items that are priced significantly below what they are offered for in Germany. Have the retailer issue you with an international warranty card and only buy goods that are in their original packaging. In the markets and bazaars you should bargain as it is an integral part of the mentality of market traders. In addition to the traditional souvenirs such as leather goods, gold jewelery and textiles, Turkish honey, tea, ceramics, backgammon, pistachios and raki are popular souvenirs; also soap made from by-products of olive oil production.
Gold jewelery has a long tradition in Turkey. Traditional craftsmanship is combined with modern goldsmithing in the production of jewelry, which is mainly made of solid gold. Since jewelry is not just an ornament in Turkey, but is primarily used as an investment, jewelry is paid for by weight.
As a rule, the shops do not have uniform or fixed opening times and are often open late into the night in tourist areas. Especially in the summer months, business people like to adjust their opening times to the visitors. It can happen that a shop does not close until after midnight. In the winter months, shops usually close much earlier. Post offices are open Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00 h open. Authorities have Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 12:00 h and 13:00 to 17:30 hours open. Sunday is the legal rest day in Turkey; the Islamic day of rest, on the other hand, is Friday.
In Turkey, carpets are not only laid on the floor, they are often hung on the wall. The woven, cheaper kilims are particularly suitable for this. The value of a carpet depends on its age, pattern, material (wool, silk, cotton, synthetic fiber), color and number of knots per square centimetre. The quality of the knotting is best seen on the back. If a carpet rubs off, has a strong smell or lint, it is of inferior quality.
