Exploring Istanbul: Bağdat Cadessi

On our first weekend at Istanbul, we decided to explore the streets since it was the last time we'll be spending it with our other office mates who will be leaving soon. We decided to spend our morning there exploring the place because they told us that there are a lot of shops and bazaar there.

From our hotel, Byotell, we took a cab that brought us to Bağdat Cadessi. It is a long street with a lot of shops and cafés on the side street. It was all high end shops all around and we are looking for the bazaar.

On a Sunday, early morning, shops are closed. This is because Sundays are their rest day and most of the stores there opens after lunch. There are only a few which are open and so, we couldn't go in and look. Most of the cafés are the only one open. We decided to walk and look for the bazaar since shops where still closed.

Sunday Morning at Bağdat Cadessi

The streets packed with vehicles

Unfortunately, after walking a really really long distance, we couldn't find any bazaar. We just opted to sit near the park and rest. We savored the cold morning and the sweet sunshine that warms us just right. It was a good weather to walk around and so we didn't waste anymore time.

Cafés are some of the shops that opens early

There are nice flower shops too

I hope the Ducati Shop was open so I could take a look at the big bikes

After a while, shops are one by one opening and we were all hyped to see what each one has to offer. We were all happy just window shopping around. We couldn't buy some stuff because it was just our 2nd day in Istanbul and we need to save up our money because we'll be staying there for 2 weeks.

Most of the shops there are shops you see here in the Philippines which costs a fortune. There, they are just ordinary stores. If you compute for the price, it is much cheaper by a few hundred pesos. It was very nice to shop there and we were all satisfied.

Nice fresh flowers on shops on streets

Shops are open after lunch

After a while, we got tired and hungry and since it was already past lunch and we need to be in the hotel at the afternoon, we all went back. It was tiring walking the streets of Bağdat Cadessi but it is surely a shopper's haven. We planned to come back here the next weekend but it rained and we decided to stay at the hotel. If given a chance, we surely will go back here and shop!