Cemberlitas Column
Tourists, hawkers and locals alike congregate in the Grand Bazaar, wandering its labyrinthine corridors in search of something to suit the purse, whether it's a garment from a famous brand, a hand-woven silk carpet or a perfectly brewed cup of tea. The old, narrow streets winding down from the proud site of this vast bazaar lead to the southern shore of the Golden Horn, to the Egyptian Bazaar, next to the elegant Yeni Mosque (the Valide Sultan Mosque, which was inaugurated in 1665), filled with the most intoxicating smells. Close by is the famous Galata Bridge, symbolic of "the bridge that connects two cultures" as it connects New Istanbul (Karaköy, Beyoğlu, Harbiye) and Old Istanbul (Sultanahmet, Fatih, Eminönü) and is open to pedestrians, allowing those who prefer to walk to reach the must-see sights of Sultanahmet on foot.
