The Egyptian Spice Bazaar in Fatih, Istanbul is a huge covered shopping center with vaulted rooms, chambers and monumental gateways. Spices, dried fruits, nuts, and lokum fill most of the shops though jewelry and clothing stores have also started moving in. The atmosphere seemed pretty authentic and it definitely was less of a tourist trap than the nearby Grand Bazaar. I bought spices, cinnamon bark, dried rose buds and happily ate my way through the free samples of lokum/Turkish Delight.
