Istanbul's shops and markets, I crowded and noisy at most X. times of the day and year, sell a colourful mixture of goods from all over the world. The city's most famous shopping centre is the Grand Bazaar and there are many other bazaars and markets to browse around. Turkey is a centre of textile production, and Istanbul has a wealth of carpet and fashion shops. If you prefer to do all your shopping under one roof, head for one of the city's modern shopping malls which offer a variety of international and Turkish brand goods. Wherever you shop, be wary of imitations contemporary of famous brand products - even glass vase   jf tney appear to be of a high standard and the salesman maintains that they are authentic. Be prepared to bargain where required: it is an important part of a shopping trip.

OPENING HOURS

Shops are open, in general, from 9am to 8pm Monday to Saturday; open-air markets from Sam onwards. Large shops and department stores open slightly later in the morning. The Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar open their gates at 8:30am and close at 7pm. Big shopping malls open from 10am to 10pm seven days a week. Shops do not close for lunch, although a few small shops may close briefly at prayer times, especially for the midday prayers on Fridays. Most shops close for the religious holidays of Şeker Bayrami and Kurlian Bayrami, but remain open on national holidays.

HOW TO PAY

Most shops that cater to tourists will be happy to accept foreign currency. If you can pay in cash, you can usually get a discount. Exchange rates are often displayed in shops and also appear in daily newspapers.
Credit cards are widely accepted (except in markets and smaller shops) and most vendors do not charge a commission. Resist any attempts to make you pay a small compensatory commission. It is not unusual to be asked to draw the money out from a bank on your card. Very few shops now accept travellers' cheques. Cash and haggling are expected in the markets and bazaars. Start by offering half the asking price. In rural markets merchants may accept foreign currency.

VAT EXEMPTION

If you spend at least 118 YTL in one shop, you can claim back VAT (known as KDV in Turkey), which is 18 per cent. More than 2,200 retail outlets display the Tax Free Shopping logo.The retailer will a street stall give you a Global Refund Cheque, which you should then present to the customs officials with your invoices and purchases for a cash refund when leaving Turkey.

SIZES AND MEASURES

Turkey uses continental European sizes for clothes and shoes. Food and drink are sold in metric measures.

BUYING ANTIQUES

Before purchasing antique items, it is important to know what can and cannot be taken out of Turkey. The rule is that objects which are over 100 years old may be exported only when a certificate stating their age and granting permission to remove them from the country has been issued by the relevant authority. Museums issue these certificates, as does the Ministry of Culture in Ankara, who will also undertake to authenticate the correct age and value of an object, if necessary. The shopkeeper from whom you bought your goods will often know which museum will be authorizing your purchases for export. In theory, a seller should already have registered with a museum all goods for sale that are over 100 years old. In practice, sellers usually only seek permission after a particular item has been sold. In the past, antiques could be removed from Turkey without a certificate. Although this has changed, the export of antiques is not forbidden, as some believe. If the proper authorities permit your purchase to be exported, you can either take it with you or send it home, whether or not it is over 100 years old. Do take note, however, that taking antiques out of Turkey without proper permission is regarded as smuggling, and is a punishable offence.
Van cats and Kangal dogs have recently been included in this category.

SHOPPING MALLS AND DEPARTMENT STORES

Istanbul's modern shopping-. malls are popular with Turkish families and iorcigiK-ıs alike, for their entertainmcni as well as their shopping fail lities. They have multi-screen cinemas, "food courts" selling fast food and chic cafes, as well as hundreds of shops.
Akmerkez in Etiler is an ultra-modern skyscraper where, besides branches of almost all the leading Turkish fashion companies, outlets for famous international names can be found. Galleria, next to the yacht marina in Ataköy, also offers a wide range of well-known clothes stores. The complex contains a branch of the French department store, Printemps, as well as an ice rink . Carousel, close to Galleria, in Bakırköy, is a smaller mall with branches of foreign shops, including Mothercare and British Home Stores.

SEASONAL SALES

Clothes shops are the main places for seasonal sales (indirim), although department stores and a number of speciality shops also have them. They begin in June or July and continue to the end of September. The winter sales start as soon as New Year shopping is over in eadv January and continue until mid-April. There are no sales in bazaars - every day nl ihe year offers bargains depein Inn-on your haggling skills