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Alanya Markets Guide. Clothes and Accessories Markets, Fruits and Vegetables Markets, Fish Markets.

Alanya is one of the most popular resorts of the Turkish Riviera. A tender silky sand of the beaches, soft sun, amazing mountains, picturesque mountain plateau, crystal clear rivers, flawless service in the hotels, truly rich clothes, vegetables, fruits, and fish markets (bazaars), sightseeing trips of a cultural, sports, and entertainment character, friendly and caring people... It is all about Alanya.

           

It is no wonder that the city has won the name of one of the best resorts in Turkey! The city works hard and walks an extra mile for the people who come to have some rest, to get some fun, to make an amazing journey or simply to do some shopping. Alanya works for the broadest audience, offering leisure for any taste. A lot of tourists who have already visited Alanya once, they want to come back again or even stay for permanent residence in this dream-city, by purchasing an apartment or a villa. In case you are interested in buying a property in Alanya, feel free to contact us and we shall do our best to help you find an apartment or a house that you and your family both dream of!

           

Speaking of Alanya and all the nearby districts, there are quite a lot of pretty large markets. The prices for them are the most varied, you have as the cheap, as well as the most expensive goods presented on display. The most important factor that defines the price of what you buy is bargaining, which is considered as a something that you cannot avoid in the markets all over Turkey. It is just what you have to master if you want to buy or sell something. Of course, you will not need any special skills here because it just comes naturally as soon as you come in Alanya, Turkey, and see it for yourself. In some cases, you can even decrease the price to the minimal one, making it twice less than what it has been. Visiting the markets in Alanya, there are mostly not so quality things they offer, so the prices are really low. Yet, if you want to buy something of a good quality, then you will have to look carefully and visit more than just one little shop or a spot in the street market. There are lots of good things to be found on the street mobile markets, which are, as a rule, put themselves not that far from the hotels. In most cases, they spend 2-3 days in a same street, so you will have enough time to look through what they have to offer. In order to buy something that you really like at the lowest price, the best thing you can do is visit the market in the last day of their staying at the particular place.

           

Eastern Markets in Alanya, Turkey

The Eastern markets in Alanya and all over Turkey are usually divided for two types: the permanent or temporary (mobile) markets. The temporary markets (bazaars) are usually met in the particular day of the week, in a concrete place. Right when the time ends, the merchants always pack their goods and go back home or just move to another town in order to come back to the past place again in a week or more. If you are planning to find out of what exactly is the process of shopping with an Eastern vibe, then feel free to visit an Eastern market (bazaar). Speaking of Alanya, there are Eastern bazaars or the markets that are permanent, the ones that work daily, except for Christmas. The square that is given for that is truly large in terms of capacity. Right there you can find the endless rows that are filled up with the goods of all kinds. The assortment of the goods presented in the market (bazaar) is truly impressive. In addition to the usual for such place fruits, vegetables, aromatic spices, meat, and the cheese of al kinds, you can often find different clothes, modern household appliances, mobile phones, the daily household products, and so on. Visiting the market, you can also find the souvenirs, textile, belts, and the bags. Usually, it is all done for the tourists that come to Alanya. The salesmen are ready to offer the jeans, sweaters, dresses, shirts, model shoes, copies of designer's made clothes and the stylish accesories - the salesmen are always happy to make the tourists glad and content with the purchases. The salespeople who sell the goods of a same group keep closer to each other, as a rule, so they can be found within the same street. Of course, there are cases when the different goods are mixed together, however it is more an exception to the rule than the norm. The little shops that sell the fabrics are also very popular among the guests of the resort. In addition to that, in the Eastern market of Alanya one can easily find a beautiful Turkish national souvenir or an interesting handcraft good that is made by one of the local masters. All in all, you can always find something unusual at a low price that will become a sweet memory of Alanya or even a reason to come back again and get some more!

           

All in all for each tourist, it is simply necessary to visit the Eastern market or a bazaar. Even if the tourist will not really buy anything here, he or she will be able to get more into details of the traditions and the culture of Turkey. It is exactly the place where you can fully enjoy the Eastern vibe. The bazaars (markets) of Alanya will help you to find out about Turkey from the inside, see its unique vibe and originality, to feel the true welcome feeling and the friendliness of all the people that live here, and to receive a lot of positive emotions from all what you have seen. The native people of Turkey are always friendly when they talk to you and are always ready to help you out when they meet you. And even if the Turkish people whom you do not know at all keep smiling at you and greet you (in the streets, in the shops, in the market), then it does not mean that they want to receive something from you. It is just a custom over here! No one will ever drag you by the sleeve to his or her goods and make an offended look when and if you do not buy something that they have. Speaking of Alanya, everyone is calm and friendly, they are not fussy and patient, and they never ever lose their dignity! When you visit the fruits and vegetables market (bazaar) more than once, - the people will recognize you from afar and will greet you with the open smiles, asking "Nasilsin", which means "how are you?", and will greet you by hand just like with the people whom they have known for a long time.

           

The Bazaars (markets) of Alanya is a place where the local farmers and the local residents meet. The first ones sell the harvest that they have collected by their own hands, while the others (as a rule, with a large bag on the wheels) are doing their best to get some vegetables, fruits, and the greenery for entire week. Yes, you have read it right, - for a week, since the true farmer's markets-bazaars (not far from the place where you would live) take place in Turkey once per week, in a strictly defined day, in a very same place and street. And when another day comes, - these markets are in the other place, in the different district of a town. This place can be the maze of streets or a large square, just something like a parking lot where only once per week, as if by some magic, comes up a true market (bazaar) with the merchants and their rows, with the tents, pavilions that attract you by the aroma of the spices and the fresh bakery.

           

Visiting the provincial Turkish market (bazaar) of Alanya, you will see that it is not so noisy and all the talks are quiet and not so loud. Only once in a while you will hear a thunderous calls that sound like real tongue-twisters that sound like "bayrum-bayrum-bayrum" to non-Turkish speaker, but which actually means that you are welcome to come up and see what they have to offer. It only adds to the great Eastern vibe. The market (bazaar) boils from the very early morning to the late night when the accumulated lamps start their work. What's even more amazing is that the next morning you won't find even a slightest trace of a market or a yesterday's "holiday" - everything is quiet, ideally tidy and the way it was before.

Turkey has always been famous for its fruits and the spices. Right at the centre of Alanya there is a fruit market that is located not far from the large market that is open for the shoppers exclusively on Fridays. The choice of some of the fruits that are offered by the merchants of this bazaar (market) are in some degree dependent on season and time of the year. In this place you can always find quite a lot of vegetables to choose from, dried fruits, greenery, fragrant spices, and the weeds of all kinds possible to imagine. The experienced tourists recommend to make sure and buy some of the Turkish sage over here, moreover, the locals believe that it is also a great tea that can help you live for many years. Usually, the Turkish sage is being sold in tiny bunches in a dried form. It won't be hard at all to find it over here. You will be literally enchanted by the Turkish merchants with their ringing voices who will pack your bags full with a smile and a great pleasure.

           

Make sure to visit one of the "one day only" markets in Alanya. As a result, you will be more than just pleased from the abundance of all the vegetables, fruits, the berries, greenery, the aroma of the spices, great choice of the nuts and the dried fruits, honey, cheese, sour milk, olives, and the Olive oil.. Do not be afraid that you do not know any Turkish or if your language is limited, while most of the farmers do not speak any English. You will make a deal anyway and things will become clear! They will make sure to let you taste any product of your choice for free or you may ask them about it by pointing out to the product that "interests you". Just point with a finger and say a magic word "test" that most of them know well by now! Make sure that you ask them to let you taste the most beuatiful and very tasty gozleme - thin tortilla with a filling (potato, cheese, egg, and spinach), which they will quickly roll over and will bake right on a giant frying pan in front of you.

           

Right here you may also buy the natural dairy products, fresh village eggs, olives, butter, seasoning, tomato paste, and the sweets of all kinds. Make sure to use the experience of the locals and also visit the market (bazaar) with a special bag on the wheels. Right in the morning there are not so many people and the products are much more fresh, as a rule, because right in the evening the prices only get lower and the market (bazaar) works until it gets dark. We should note that in all the Turkish markets there are no check scales, so any customer will only have to smile and say "Cok gzel, teekrler", which means that "all is great, thank you", and you can be sure that they will place much more in your package than what you have paid for! The journey to the market (bazaar) in Alanya is a true pleasure and a real holiday for all the family!

And one more thing! In Alanya there is also a daily fish market (Balk bazar). Right on its territory there is also a "one day only" usual food market (bazaar) that works every Tuesday. It is next to the "Anadolu Hastanesi" in Alanya (the Anadolu hospital, also known as Anatolian holspital). You can reach the place by taking the bus #2 (the bus stop is right in front of the market's front gates).

           

The prices for the fruits and the vegetables (if you do not take more than 1-2kg) is basically impossible to decrease by bargaining. Still, there is no real need for that because the prices for the season's products are already very low - they are written down on pieces of paper and are basically the same for all merchants. They are much lower than in the usually grocery stores or the fruits-and-vegetables little shops. And there, where you cannot see or find a price for food, make sure to ask "kac para?" or "ne kadar?", meaning "how much does it cost?", and still try to ask for a discount (indirim). In that part of the market (bazaar) where they sell clothes, footwear, belts, watches, souvenirs, and all the possible things, make sure to ALWAYS bargain about the price. Here you are dealing with the professional salesmen. As for the novice (someone with no tan or a sunburnt looking tourist will always catch their attention first), they will name you a price with a friendly smile, still multiplying the real price for at least 2-3 times. Tell them "Cok Pahali" (sounds as 'Chok pa-ha-li'), which means "too expensive" and be brave to ask for your own price. Speaking of these "one day only" bazaars (markets), they do not sell the "brand" clothes here, yet with the right preparation and knowledge, you can bargain and buy something that you need at very good prices.

           

Dream Alanya Real Estate Agency wishes you good shopping and friendly salesmen in the markets and bazaars of Alanya!

IN ORDER TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW IT ALL WORKS, HERE IS THE USUAL TIMETABLE WITH THE DAYS AND PLACES FOR THE MOBILE MARKETS IN ALANYA:

SUNDAY - Alanya's center.

MONDAY - Oba district.

TUESDAY - Mahmutar district.

WEDNESDAY - Konakli, Avsallar, Kestel.

THURSDAY - Tosmur.

FRIDAY - Kestel, center of Alanya, next to the central bus stop.

SATURDAY - Cikcilli and Mahmutlar.