Turkish Markets – The Best Grocery Shopping Experience

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Everyone should adore and cherish local Turkish markets! And here’s why…

Why We Love Turkish Markets

Once upon a time, there was a town in the Northwest of England called Wigan. Our home town. Wigan was a market town.

It had an outdoor market square and an indoor market. Both sold British, seasonal fruit, fresh vegetables along with clothing and haberdashery, etc.

Fresh Produce

The open-fronted shops that surrounded the indoor arcades all sold a variety of products like fish, eggs, meat, cheese and bread.

Some of these shops had hares, rabbits and pheasants hanging from hooks outside.

The market was always packed with Wigan townsfolk. And there was constant noise and chatter from the vendors; especially at the end of the day.

Bargains galore. And a May Day fairground just for good measure.

No More Market

This fairytale didn’t have a happy ending for us as Wiganers.

These are my memories from doing the twice-weekly shop with my nana during the school summer holidays when I was in junior school.

Now? Well, when we left Wigan in the 1990s, it was a medium-sized town (50,000 ish people) with no food market at all.

The last fishmonger of the indoor market would write letters to the local newspaper asking for customer support.

A desperate ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ plea that ultimately fell on deaf ears.

Enter The Supermarket Chains

There are numerous, sad reasons for the demise of the markets. And, needless to say, supermarkets saw the possibilities and descended on Wigan in their droves.

Wigan was home to the largest store of the biggest supermarket chain in Britain when we left.

This has no doubt since been usurped by larger stores in other towns but that was the case back then as we chose to come to Fethiye.

Shoppers in the centre of Wigan had no choice but to go to the supermarkets for their fruit and veg.

Obviously, there is now also added competition with the growth of online shopping.

It’s a wonder markets survive at all.

Turkish Markets – Shop Local, Eat Seasonal

Cue our love of all things Turkish markets! The pazar.

We’re both huge fans of the Turkish food markets of the Fethiye area – and of local produce, generally.

So, whenever we can, we always make the effort to use local Turkish markets on a weekly, twice-weekly, sometimes thrice-weekly basis.

Why wouldn’t we?

We really enjoy the experience. Markets have their own atmosphere.

Throngs of shoppers, fresh produce, familiar faces of the traders, the colours, aromas, the sounds.

Best Price

Turkish markets are also generally cheaper than local supermarkets when it comes to fresh produce. Good prices that change depending on the season.

High inflation in the 2020s has meant the Turkish Lira is not stretching far for many shoppers. But the local market is still one of the best places to head for to fill the shopping bags.

And it’s also taught us how to get the most from the seasonal produce.

We cook loads of creations that we would never have dreamt of cooking in the past; especially Turkish recipes.

Don’t get us wrong, we are not completely anti-supermarket. They’re useful places for general shopping – but we do try not to rely on them, here.

We’re lucky to have two local shops that have quite a wide product range so we try to support those, too.

Confusingly, for British people, small family run Turkish grocery stores are called ‘market’ in Turkish. If you want to go to a local Turkish produce market, these are called ‘pazar’ in Turkish.

But the various different markets around Fethiye are our go to places for fruit, vegetables, olives, cheeses, yoghurts, eggs, etc, etc.

Turkish markets are a happy shopping experience.

Much of it is local produce! And of course there is the fact that you’re supporting local traders and farmers.

So, this is our ‘Love your local market (pazar)’ post.

What Are The Best Markets?

We get asked that question quite a lot. And, well, just like everything else in life, it depends what you’re looking for, doesn’t it?

Turkish markets come in all shapes and sizes; from weekly markets to permanent halls and stands.

Something For Everyone

Here in Fethiye, we pretty much have all bases covered.

Our permanent covered market is also home to the fish market and shops selling various kinds of Turkish foods – charcuteries, turkish coffee kiosks, butchers and a small spice market.

Cash is king, of course, but some of these places will also accept debit/credit card.

We have the weekly neighbourhood markets; many of which also cater to tourists looking to buy souvenirs of Turkish Delight, a wide selection of clothes and jewellery as well as the local produce.

And we have the more intimate Friday villagers’ market – our favourite – that is growers selling their local produce and other goods, such as their homemade olive oil and pomegranate molasses.

Elsewhere in the country, there is everything from small village Turkish markets selling the essentials to the covered and open air markets of larger cities.

Istanbul Neighbourhood Turkish Markets

Obviously, in Istanbul, places like the Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Spice Bazaar need no introduction.

These are arguably two of the famous markets in the world and have been serving people since the days of the Ottoman Empire.

There’s Karaköy fish market where you can also dine by the Golden Horn; Beşiktaş fish market in the busy pedestrianised streets of Çarşı, the delightful food stalls of Kadıköy. Too many to mention!

But elsewhere in the city, there are scores of weekly neighbourhood markets where you can not only pick up delicious foods and traditional Turkish products; you can also get a real feel of the vibe in that area.

If you’re staying in Istanbul and want to soak up the neighbourhood Turkish market atmosphere, this list and map is really handy.

Whether we’re travelling around or we’re at home, a trip to a Turkish market for us is a must!

Here is a list of the Turkish fruit and veg markets we’ve visited around Turkey.

Please feel free to add a fruit and vegetable market from your area of Turkey in the comments box below so we can all enjoy the Turkish market experience, wherever we may be.

Sunday	Çalış market, Göcek market & Alsancak market (Izmir)
Monday	Hisarönü market & Köyceğiz market
Tuesday	Fethiye market
Wednesday	Bostanlı Pazar (Izmir), Selimiye market (Marmaris)
Thursday	Çiftlik market
Friday	Fethiye farmers’ market, Üzümlü market, Kaş market
Saturday	Patlangıç, Karaçulha market. Dalyan market

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