Sultanahmet is prime tourist territory and is subsequently well supplied with tacky souvenir stores and pushy carpet sellers who know that first-time visitors are particularly impressed by the offer of a small glass of synthetic apple tea. The best place to shop is in and around the Spice Market near the Galata Bridge, where there are both interesting products and reasonable prices. An entirely different side to Istanbul can be found among the smart boutiques of Nisantası and Tesvikiye, about a mile north of Taksim.

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