We have been deferring visiting the Grand Bazaar partly because we have felt more like exploring than shopping and also because we couldn't face fending off more salesmen. The Turkish salesman are charming and always insist that you do not need to buy, just look. They give you great stories about their products and their country. They have a sense of humour. And, they are generous - making you comfortable and plying you with tea and coffee. The trouble is, Bob and I hate being rude and feel guilty if they spend time on us and we don't buy anything. As it was, we had nothing to fear. The salesmen in the Grand Bazaar and much less pushy than those near the Blue Mosque and, as we went in the morning, the crowds were not huge.
There are several entrances but they are not very clearly marked and merge into the side alleys, which sell slightly cheaper wares since their overheads are not as high.
Inside, you get a strong idea of what it must have been like years ago and it is surprisingly light, roomy and colourful.
It is a bit overpowering with the sheer multitude of things you can buy, the quality of the goods and the fact that so many shops sell similar things. There is gold, gold gold, gold, soap, oils, cushions, leather, bags, silver, antiques, food..... the list goes on.
You could spend a day in here, but we were unable to buy a thing, partly because the prices were a bit high and partly because we were overwhelmed, so we had a coffee in one of the cafes and then escaped the arcades
for the much more overcrowded side streets, where we did what we do best: watched people and marvelled at the sights.
The one thing that we have learned about the Turks is that they all look very different. Some look like Indians, some like Greeks, some look very Asian and some look very Western European. Some wear traditional regional dress, some dress like any modern Westerner. The interpretion of Islam is similarly varied. Some women wear black abaya and niqab, but more wear a coloured head scarf and a long coat like garment. Some women only wear a headscarf with Western clothes. Most men wear no headwear but some wear a crocheted skull cap and some a sort of embroidered fez. Some men wear traditional baggy pants and a waistcoats, some women wear colourful baggy pants and a floral top. There is no rule to dress but the richer people tend to dress more like westerners.
On Sundays, some families dress up their little bys like sultans and their little girls in frilly dresses.
One of the loveliest things about the Turks is their adoration of children. The kids are almost spoiled and very feisty but the parents look at them adoringly, as does everybody else. The dads are delightfully hands on and very doting. And family is very important. You often see the extended family all shopping together.
The Turks are also very tactile and show affection openly. Boys look lovingly into their girlfriends' eyes, men walk arm in arm with men, and women with women - and they are heterosexual. We have seen 2 male friends in a park, one lying on the other's lap, and they are not gay - just friends or relatives. I know that homosexuality is "discouraged" here, which is sad, but it is nice to see people so comfortable with affection.
We really didn't take many photos today. Just these ones of some rather rare graffiti art:
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