No corner of Istanbul is like any other. Despite appearances, the same applies to the city's 11 million inhabitants, as recorded by the latest census. Even districts that stand right next to one another are very different, from their houses to their shops, and their streets to their traders. You can find everything in the world that you might be looking for and more in Istanbul, where people from all walks of life live together in a tremendous hustle and bustle: The mystery of the East and the practicality of the West.

      Istanbul is where two great continents meet: Europe and Asia. The magnificent Covered Bazaar (Kapalicarsi), which stands in one of the oldest settlements of the city's European shore, has always been a favourite with foreign visitors. The story goes that the bazaar began as two vaulted halls built by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror (1451 -1481) to provide an income for the Hagia Sophia Mosque, and gradually turned into a commercial center as traders began to display their wares on counters around these two stone buildings. The present alleys and galleries emerged as these areas were roofed over by tiled vaults. First-time visitors to the Covered Bazaar are astounded by its splendour and size (30.7 hectares). The bazaar contains 3,000 shops, 25,000 full-time staff, 61 streets and even two mosques, and looks as much to the present as it does to the past. In the jewellers' shops, bedecked with gold, silver and precious stones, you can find all kinds of valuable decorative items, from antique jewels to modern pendants.

      Goods from all the regions that make up the brightly-coloured tapestry that is modern Turkey are sold in the famous rug and carpet shops. As well as giftware made of pottery, wicker, wood, copper and silver, the Covered Bazaar is also a center for leather goods and accessories.

      Besides, Istanbul has many modern shopping centers. These centers have everything you need: Restaurants, cinemas, hairdressers, banks, a bureau de change, vendors of electronic and orthopedic goods, motoring accessories, a tailor, a shoe polisher, a pet shop and a supermarket, etc. The hundreds of top-quality shops in the exclusive districts on either side of Istanbul, Bagdat Caddesi (on the Asian shore) and Nisantasi (on the European), comprise their own distinct shopping centres. The devotee of shopping can find everything there, from jewellery to shoes, from clothes and accessories to antiques, and from furniture to carpets.

      It would be out of the question to leave Istanbul without visiting the traditional markets set up on particular days in various parts of the city. These have a delightful, local flavour of their own, with their sales patters and thousand and one items on display. These markets are set up in areas set aside by local municipalities, and are known by the days of the week when they take place. The best known are Sali Pazari (Tuesdays) in Kadiköy on the Asian side, Çarsamba Pazari (Wednesdays) in Fatih and Cumartesi Pazari (Saturdays) in Besiktas, both on the European side.

      Although most traders are men, market shoppers are predominantly women on the lookout for bargains and good buys. A vast range of goods is available at the most attractive prices, from underwear to vacuum cleaners, from perfumes to make-up, from plastics to the finest china and hand-made rugs and embroidered articles from various regions of Anatolia. As evening falls, so do the prices. If you go in the morning, however, you will be able to buy a whole range of tasty delights prepared by an army of housewives, such as cakes, filled flaky pastries, pies and stuffed vegetables, as well as other shopping, before rounding the day off with a cup of tea as dusk sets in. The markets of Istanbul cannot be recommended strongly enough to anyone keen on finding a wide range of bargains and at the same time casting an eye over one extraordinary aspect of the mosaic of modern Turkey. Another feature of shopping in Istanbul is antiques, which are offered for sale in shops in a number of districts. These are to be found at he most reasonable prices, and bear the traces of peoples' lives from throughout the city's long history. The antique markets of Çukurcuma in Beyoglu and Horhor in Aksaray on the European side of the city, and in Kadikoy and Uskudar on the Asian side are the best places to look for such things, with their characteristic features of both Anatolia and Istanbul, at affordable prices.

All anyone who wants to take home some traditional Turkish desserts or candies has to do is to drop in at the famous Misir Çarsisi (Egyptian Market) at Eminonu, one of the oldest settlements on the European side, Balikpazari (Fish Market) at Beyoglu, or visit downtown Kadikoy. There one can find a wide range of peppers, honey, varieties of local cheeses, dried spiced beef, sausages, braised beef, an astonishing variety of medic inal herbs, different teas, and even herbs and charms to ward off the evil eye which are to be found in every Turkish home. As well as all the shopping centers and markets that supply everything the truly dedicated shopper could ever need, the city of Istanbul itself is one great big bazaar. Make the most of it. And happy shopping!