Alanya - the Shopping Paradise

The bazaar of Alanya is a real shopping paradise and might be one of the biggest bazaars at the south coast. Between Dolmus railway station and harbour you find a very big bazaar area, separated from the major road, the Atatürk Caddesi (street). In the close alleys and corners you can easily get lost, but with some exercise this is no problem any more.

A checkpoint is the main street which cuts the bazaar in two parts. In the bazaar are sold - like everywhere in Turkey - clothes in different qualities, leather goods (bags, shoes and clothes) silver or gold jewellery, sweets and naturally the inevitable little presents for aunt Kate ... recently one finds in several shops beautiful cans and other tableware from zinc according to Ottoman model. the most is still handmade, but just only for decoration - please don´t drink your coffee or tea out of this cans - exept you have the plan to galvanize your gullet..

If you buy clothes, please notice: quality has its price, even if is still low than in Europe. If you don´t want to have price (and qualitiy)less copies, try the turkish labels mavi jeans or collezione.
Another idea is to have clothes done by one of the many taylors in Alanya - if you want to have a classical lady´s or man´s wear, it is very cheap and with good quality. They finish the most clothes in just one week.
When I was married, my wedding dress was made from two young female taylors - they had as pattern only my drawing and a photo - and it was made wonderful!!!!! The price was just 280 Euro! If you want to do like this, please send me an e-mail, I will help you (the girls are only speaking turkish...)... martina@alanya-tuerkei.de

Bargaining is ok - but with sure instinct!

A little bit sensibility is important.... in closed boutiques actually action is disapproved, but with nice demand a discount can be achieved (ask for "indirim") - particularly by the end of the summer - but in the open bazaar deals action is absolutely attached. Nevertheless, don´t try the method "we know all that the first price is too high" or "you are mad, this is too expensive". There is not a rule of thumb here, but one can already say that at least 20% of deduction had to be in there, umso more, the more one buys. The salesmen are "sly dogs" who know their(her) clientele well - besides, there they become almost exclusively on commission bezahtl, every discount also goes at your expenses. However, for changes in clothes, jewellery or leather goods money should be required at any rate, this is a service by the purchase.

A small indication for photo fans: the photo labs distributed everywhere in the city which develop a 36'er film for approx. 8 Euros, are to be recommended for vacation recollections absolutely. One should take films or photo batteries to himself, however, best, because these are more expensive and also sometimes overlays. I have done good experiences with the quality with DILEK COLOR on the Atatürk street to direction monument (right side of the street), near the big "novel boutique". With this photo lab does not become in the development time geknappst, around the developer solution to schonen...

Souvenirs, Souvenirs....

Who searches for a "souvenir" of better quality, a shop would be recommended in a side street of the street to the harbour. One can buy there really tasteful plates and vases from terracotta, partly hand-made (and not completely cheaply - but beautifully) or at least painted with hand in warm earth-coloured.

One pays for a wall plate approx. 25 DM, the small hand-made vases cost 20 DM (August, 2000). However, for it one receives a piece that must not be hidden even in a "designer's house" schamhaft on the guest's loo. Also the metal things mentioned already at the top which are also at the moment " fully in the trend ", do themselves well on the native chest of drawers.

Groceries and daily needs

For self-support there is in the western outskirts the supermarket "Migros" whose assortment German follows in nothing (unfortunately, also not in the prices). In the meat bar which is very neat and is clean, it can already be that one is served in German. In the city centre there is two times the department store "afra", once in the Dolmus railway station and once in the Atatürk Caddesi near the McDonalds. For longer stays (from 3 weeks) it is worthwhile to procure the "Afracard" or the "Migros-Clubkart". One receives them(her) in the box office and must show them(her) with every purchase and then comes to the pleasure of partly substantial price reductions - there are special offers " for the generality " rather rarely.

One buys vegetable, cheese, olives and fruit best of Friday at the big market, also near the Dolmus railway station. Certainly, caution with Yoghurt of the village women, tastes very nicely, however, is not completely without - failure(diarrhoea) already is in there. With cheese I have not done corresponding experiences yet.

Since something about a year there is the market hall (" Toptanci Hali ") if one drives direction west on 25-Meter-Strasse in the Baskent, a very extensive crossing comes. There gehts on the right upwards and the näcshte street glech again on the left. The big hall with the oversize paintings with fish and fruit is the market hall. There one receives of fish about meat, fruit and vegetable, cheese as far as spices and dry supplies everything what one needs so daily. Even a "pig butcher" who offers exclusively wild boar products, is to be thought there.

A lot of small traders (bakkal) have partly opened around the clock and offer the important things of the daily need - but mostly to a little bit higher prices

Also in the Atatürk Caddesi, in one of the entrances to the bazaar direction Dolmus railway station, there is a Kosmetik deal which also offers very positive and good Turkish make-up equipment near the most important German nursing series. Who does not want to renounce his(its) "Schauma shampoo": here one receives it "relatively positively - but such "luxuries" as a rule also cost here loosely the double like in Germany - the little vanity case best at home pack full ...... .

Particularly importantly for women(wives): tampons are more expensive here almost around triple than for example in Germany, also does not forget ......!

Other, special shopping-tips in the column " important to know"