• The Insider
  • Planning
  • Sightseeing
  • Transportation
  • Food & Drinks
  • Going Out
  • Shopping
  • FAQ
  • Tours

Istanbul Insider

Istanbul travel guide and advice by locals.

Top 9 Shopping Centers in Istanbul

Shopping centers can be considered as a very young concept in Turkey, since the history goes back only to the late 80s. However, once the malls appeared on the shopping scene, the Turks embraced them. Almost every neighborhood has at least one. Following you can find some of the biggest and fanciest shopping centers in Istanbul. They are mostly close to the Taksim area, thus very easy to reach by bus, subway, or taxi. Oh yes, as a rule of thumb, we can say that they are open between 10 am and 10 pm.

Aerial view of Istinye Park in Istanbul.
Aerial view of Istinye Park in Istanbul. © Photo by Istinye Park

Akmerkez

Pictıre of Akmerkez Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Akmerkez. © Akmerkez

Akmerkez is located in Etiler, a neighborhood of the Beşiktaş district and one of the favorite areas among Istanbul’s elite. It is also close to the business quarters of Levent and Maslak.

This four-storey mall with almost 250 stores covers an area of 180.000 sq meters. It can be easily reached by tourists and locals alike thanks to their free transportation service from and to close range neighborhoods and hotels. It opened its doors in December 1993 and is open between 10 am and 10 pm every day.

Akmerkez was chosen the best shopping center in Europe in 1995 by ICSC. In 1996 it was recognized as the best shopping center in the world, moreover it also received the International Design and Development Award. Akmerkez is a unique shopping center, since no other shopping center in the world has both of these titles. In 2010, Akmerkez was awarded with the prize for best interior design by the European Commercial Property Awards.

Address: Ulus Caddesi No:3, Etiler – Istanbul
http://www.akmerkez.com.tr/

Istinye Park

Picture of Istinye Park Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Istinye Park. © Istinye Park

Located in the Istinye neighborhood of the Sarıyer district, Istinye Park has brought a new dimension to Istanbul’s shopping concept. Spread out over an area of 242.000 sqm, the shopping center offers a variety of outdoor and glass roofed indoor sections such as a green central park, Fashion District, street side shopping, a kids’ entertainment center of 1.500 sqm, Hillside Sports and Leisure Club, The Bazaar — an area inspired by historical Turkish architecture — and 12 movie halls, one of which being IMAX 3D.

Green, eco-friendly, humane and eye for details is how you can best describe Istinye Park. There are three waste collecting centers and a waste oil collector. Wheelchairs, lockers to leave your valuables, baby buggies free of charge and immediate tax refund are only some of the thoughtful services provided.

Address: İstinye Bayırı Cad. No: 73, Sarıyer – Istanbul
http://www.istinyepark.com

Kanyon

Picture of Kanyon Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Kanyon. © Kanyon

As a four-storey shopping center located in the financial district of Levent, the 37.500 sqm shopping center has 160 stores among which Turkey’s and the world’s most selected brands, gourmet restaurants, cafes, a health and sports club and movie halls.

Kanyon was awarded with the 2006 Cityscape Architectural Review Award in the “Commercial Built” category.

Address: Büyükdere Caddesi No:185
http://www.kanyon.com.tr/#/en/homepage/

City’s

Picture of City's Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
City’s. © City’s

In case you enjoy being in the center of fashion, let alone shopping, you have got to see City’s in Nişantaşı, part of the Şişli district and very close to Taksim. City’s is a shopping center which blends in with the historical texture of the area.

City’s concept is described as a Life Style Center. It sure deserves this stylish title, considering the variety of the stores, cafes, restaurants and the vital 24 hour six-storey parking service it provides to the populous area.

Address: Teşvikiye Mahallesi Teşvikiye Caddesi No:162, Nişantaşı – Istanbul
http://www.citysnisantasi.com/

Nişantaşı

Picture of Nişantaşı, an upmarket shopping district in Istanbul, Turkey.
Nişantaşı.

This is not a shopping center, but a district within walking distance of Taksim known for committed shoppers in search of sophistication.

In the mid 19th century, Sultan Abdülmecid I initiated the decent living in Nişantaşı. Today, Nişantaşı has the third largest community of foreign residents in Istanbul. It is a fashionable shopping and an upper-scale residential area. The locals of the district are known as dignified, well-mannered and educated.

Abdi İpekçi is, based on the monthly lease prices, the most expensive and classy street with prominent Turkish brands as well as world-known luxury retail stores such as Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Cartier, Dior, Gucci, Gianfranco Ferre, DKNY and many more.

Besides the shopping euphoria, Nişantaşı has become a well-known culture and art center. Moreover, its cafes and restaurants in the area, especially on MimKemal Öke and Atiye streets are luscious.

Bağdat Caddesi

Picture of Bağdat Caddesi, Istanbul's famous shopping street.
Bağdat Caddesi.

On the Asian side of the city and roughly parallel to the shore of the Marmara Sea, Bağdat Avenue is a rather green and glossy 14 km long high street. The first residential steps in the area were the luxurious wooden chalet mansions built after 1870’s. Some still exist and contribute to the wealthy look of the upper-scale residential area. As well as the shopping exuberance, Bağdat Avenue is famous for international and local cuisine restaurants, pubs and cafes.

Bagdat Avenue scored 83 out of 100 and became 4th (!) on a ranking list of the world’s most famous shopping streets made by a Paris-based market consulting company in 2012.

The criterias of the mystery shoppers were:

  • Appearance (cleanliness, lighting)
  • Welcome (staff greetings, courtesy, availability)
  • Atmosphere (garbage cans available, open space, clean pavement)
  • Contact with passers-by (friendliness, helpfulness to people passing through the store)

The outstanding line for shoppers is the 6 km long stretch with one-way traffic from Bostancı to Kızıltoprak. You can track down most of the shopping malls and fashion stores in the direction westward between Suadiye, Şaşkınbakkal, Erenköy and Caddebostan neighborhoods.

I recommend you to get to Bostancı and then walk back towards Kadıköy – in the direction of the traffic flow. You will easily spend a full day in the Bağdat Caddesi.

Forum Istanbul

Picture of Forum Istanbul Shopping Center in Turkey.
Forum Istanbul. © Forum Istanbul

Whatever you may need, you can almost bet on it that you can find it in Forum Istanbul. The shopping center made its debut in 2009 and is built on an enormous area of 495.000 sq meters. About 8.000 sq meters of it is occupied by Turkey’s first gigantic aquarium Turkuazoo and the first ice museum, Magic Ice.

The rest is shared among big stores like IKEA, the sports store Decathlon, Praktiker, several technology stores, 62 domestic and international clothing and shoe stores, 15 cafes, 34 restaurants and 10 movie halls.

Address: Kocatepe Mahallesi,Paşa Caddesi, Bayrampasa – Istanbul
http://www.forumistanbul.com.tr

Galleria

Picture of Galleria Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Galleria. © Galleria

You have just left the airport upon arrival and there is an emergency. You need to do some shopping! Tell your taxi driver to take the seaside road because the place to be is Galleria, the very first shopping center in Istanbul.

In the 80’s Turkey faced a lot of social changes. The mastermind was the innovative Prime Minister Turgut Özal who recommended building such a shopping center since he was inspired by the shopping mall Houston Galleria in Houston, Texas, USA. Located on the seaside of the Ataköy suburb, Galleria was built on a covered area of 77.000 sq meters.

It has several elite stores, restaurants, movie halls, a bowling hall and an ice skating rink. Galleria was recognized as the world’s most outstanding mall in 1990 by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) for sophisticated blueprint design, rapid construction, and unique structural features.

Address: Bakırköy Ataköy arası sahilyolu, Istanbul
http://www.galleria-atakoy.com.tr/

Metrocity

Picture of Metrocity Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Metrocity. © Metrocity

A four-storey shopping center housing 140 stores located in the finance district of Levent. Teflon coated fiberglass fabric was used for the roof construction, which brightens up the shopping pleasure.

Metrocity is directly connected to the M2 metro line.

Address: Büyükdere Cad. No:171 1. Levent
http://www.metrocity.com.tr/

Bonus: Zorlu Center

Picture of Zorlu Shopping Mall in Istanbul, Turkey.
Zorlu Shopping Mall. © Zorlu Center

Zorlu is the newest addition to Istanbul’s shopping mall scene. It is built on 105.000 m² of land, including a 10.000 m² main court. There is also a second court of 12.000 m², and a leasable area of 70.000 m², home to about 180 stores.

Zorlu Shopping Mall put the focus on gourmet, with shops and restaurants such as Eataly, Jamie Oliver’s Italian, Tom’s Kitchen and Morini, as well as local restaurants such as Köşebaşı, Günaydın, Far East and Welldone.

Address: Zorlu Center, Beşiktaş – Istanbul
www.zorlucenter.com.tr

In order to make the most use of the valuable land, most of the recently built shopping centers are combined with at least two towers for residencial and/or office purposes. Therefore, most of them have this majestic look.

Further Recommended Reading

  1. Istanbul Sales, When Does It Start and Stop
  2. Where to Buy What Quality Souvenirs in Istanbul
  3. Istanbul Transportation Map With Places of Interest

Filed Under: See & Do, Shopping, Shopping Tips, Top Lists, Travel Tips

Comments

  1. Eva says

    September 26, 2022 at 4:31 pm

    Hi! Would you recommend an Outlet mall in istanbul that easy to get there by public transport please?

    Reply
    • Erlend says

      September 26, 2022 at 9:57 pm

      Not really.

      Reply
  2. Rajan says

    July 1, 2022 at 1:01 pm

    Dear Erlend.
    Thanks for making such an awesome website. Its of great help. Can you please advise on the best place to find clothes which are low cost but trendy. Also,are there any outlet shops where we can find good bargains for international brands..?

    Thanks..
    Rajan

    Reply
    • Erlend says

      July 2, 2022 at 10:57 pm

      Hi Rajan,

      There are outlet centers, but they’re mostly located outside the city center.

      Reply
  3. Laila says

    June 18, 2022 at 11:30 am

    Hello , please I want a place which I can buy room accessories for my son 9 years old e.g wall frames, lamp, rug , bed covers , with boys character wars stars, Batman , good collection which fit boys , as well good cutleries collections for dinning.

    Reply
    • Erlend says

      June 18, 2022 at 6:44 pm

      Certainly in Istiniye or Cevahir you must be able to find some things. Cilek as a store comes to mind.

      Reply
  4. Saiss says

    March 5, 2022 at 2:20 am

    Hi Erlend,

    We want to buy plates, bowls, knives, forks, dishes etc. Can you please recommend the place with the nicest places?

    Reply
    • Erlend says

      March 5, 2022 at 7:57 pm

      Hi Saiss,

      Have you paid a visit to Istinye Park shopping center? There you’ll find an array of shops for home, one more stylish than the other.

      Reply
  5. Zeina says

    January 31, 2022 at 8:19 pm

    Hello
    I enjoyed reading your blog and would like to know if you have any updates… I will be visiting by the end of February… kindly advise weather friendly ideas and locations… Thank you.

    Reply
    • Erlend says

      February 3, 2022 at 12:06 am

      Hi Zeina,

      That’s so difficult. First of all, there is no way to predict the weather. I would go for a nice mix of inside (grand bazaar, dolmahbaçe palace, hagia sophia) and outside (topkapi palace, Bosphorus tour, …) activities.

      Reply
  6. Olipa says

    February 14, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    I intend to visit Turkey Istanbul where can I find quality dresses both official and casual wear.
    Men’s wear aswell

    Reply
    • Erlend says

      February 16, 2020 at 7:55 pm

      You were on the correct page.

      Reply
  7. Margaret Oteng says

    November 19, 2019 at 7:30 pm

    need to visit Instanbul how can you help

    Reply
    • Erlend says

      November 20, 2019 at 8:03 pm

      I already did by making this website for you, completely free. Read every page of it, and you’ll be well prepared.

      Enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Sufyan says

    October 14, 2019 at 10:46 am

    Where is the best place to purchase 100%cotton bed sheets in Istanbul?

    Reply
    • Erlend says

      October 15, 2019 at 9:23 am

      Linens, Madame Coco and English Home
      These Turkish brands offer a good variety and have stores in almost all shopping malls.

      Reply
  9. Imane13 says

    October 10, 2019 at 10:15 pm

    Hello theistanbulinsider my name is Imane ,I found your blog not so long ago and i have been a huge ,you have given such useful and practical tips for all Istanbul travelers including myself, I am preparing for my very first trip to Istanbul and I am very lost regarding the way to locations (since Istanbul is a huge city and i am scared to get lost once there) it would mean a lot if you could send your email so that you could confirm to me the way to the locations where I will be going

    Reply
    • Erlend says

      October 10, 2019 at 11:27 pm

      Hi Imane,

      Thanks for the compliments. Unfortunately, I can’t provide my email address here, nor am I a (personal) travel agency. I do answer questions as much as I can, but I can’t go over every personal itinerary I receive. I hope you can understand.

      Have a nice stay.

      Reply
  10. Nayden says

    September 18, 2019 at 11:57 am

    You might try Akasya, Emaar Mall and Palladium, all of them located in the asian side.

    Reply
  11. Mohamed Rashad says

    July 24, 2019 at 2:45 am

    Hi Erland

    thanks for the information. I would add Cevahir and Istanbul Sapphire shopping mall as well as I think they were some of the best malls we went in Istanbul during our visit last June.

    Reply
    • Erlend says

      July 24, 2019 at 8:36 am

      Thanks Mohamed,

      I’ll consider it.

      Reply
  12. Sheherbano says

    June 11, 2019 at 8:10 am

    Hey there , Istanbul has amazing places to go to shopping but please do not go to RUBY ART Gallery near Blue Mosque. these guys are cheaters, they trap you to their carpet store and then make people buy things at prices 4 times more than the market. me and my friend both got the same experience. when i asked for refund, they started threatening me. So please avoid going to that shop. its a no no place to go…

    Reply
    • Erlend says

      June 11, 2019 at 1:11 pm

      Hi Sheherbano,

      Sorry to hear about your experience, and thanks for sharing it.

      Reply
    • Kawsar says

      June 16, 2019 at 2:22 pm

      I am sorry to hear such experience sometimes people take advantage of the tourist which very bad image for that country.

      Thank you for sharing that experience I am going with my children in July for first time and looking forward to it.

      Can you please share more about the currency and affordable stay at centre

      Thanks

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Best Sellers

  • Email
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Us

About
Contact
Frequently Asked Questions
Sitemap

Popular Attractions

Hagia Sophia
Topkapi Palace & Harem
Dolmabahçe Palace
Bosphorus Tour
Whirling Dervishes

Travel Tips

Accommodation & Locations
Airport Transportation
Istanbul Kart, Museum Pass, Tourist Pass
Public Transportation
Taxi’s in Istanbul

© 2011–2023 The Istanbul Insider – Terms of Service • Privacy Policy • Affiliate Disclaimer
Istanbul Insider
Data and Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site.
Click below to consent ('Accept') to the above or make granular choices
Manage Cookie SettingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.

Your choices on this site will be applied only for this site. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by going to the Privacy Policy page of this site.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
CookieDurationDescription
_gat1 minuteThis cookies is installed by Google Universal Analytics to throttle the request rate to limit the colllection of data on high traffic sites.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.
visitor_id5 yearsThis cookie include cookie name plus the unique identifier of the visitor account. The value stored is the unique ID of the visitor which is used for tracking the visitor.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.