Markets Route de la soie

Located in the popular suburbs of Malatia-Sebastia, otherwise known as Bangladesh, southwest of the capital, it is the largest fruit and vegetable market in the capital. Even though it has been refurbished, a beautiful disorder, shouts and colours animate the alleys of this market where farmers often sell their produce directly to the capital's retailers. A little off-centre, even if it can be reached by metro from the centre, but picturesque. The products are, one suspects, cheaper than in the city.

Situated on the site of the old Persian bazaar, just before reaching the Hrazdan, south of Mashtots Avenue, opposite the Goy Mosque, it has little in the way of an oriental market. Built in the Soviet era in an Assyrian-Urartan style, this covered market is more reminiscent of Yerevan's Soviet past than the era of the Sardars of Persia. It has been renovated and has lost some of its folklore, but with the sun-drenched productions of the Armenian land, it has a lot of colour and flavour, as the fruit and vegetables are of excellent quality.

Like Yerevan, Gyumri has its large covered market, translate Pak Shuka, which is located in the heart of the city, a stone's throw from the central Vartanants Square. The well-stocked stalls, full of all kinds of vegetables and fruit, but also of local produce, and the animation, intense at weekends, if not very typical, show in any case that life is returning to normal in the city, some thirty years after the earthquake that devastated it.

For clothing, toys and objects of ameu-blement.

Fruits, vegetables and fresh flowers.

This market, which appeared in 1737 near the entrance to the town and specialized in the sale of hay, straw and wood, was once very large and very popular. Today, it is a very old school local market, frequented by the locals and very popular with Petersburg restaurateurs for supplies. All kinds of fresh products can be found there. To eat on the go, the stalls with Vietnamese salads (vegetables, fish and spicy meat) sold by weight are very practical even if they are at least as Russian as Vietnamese

A new kind of gourmet market has opened on boulevard Longchamp, in place of a former theater. After a great deal of hard work and self-sacrifice, the trio of Amaury, Pierre and Hugo were finally able to open a beautiful indoor market at the beginning of September 2023, an inspiring and quite unique venue in the city center. Featuring a greengrocer offering only local fruit and vegetables (with the exception of citrus fruits from Sicily and Corsica), a cheesemonger, a wine shop, a butcher, a bakery corner by Ferments Bakery and, last but not least, the market auction by our long-time favorite, ex-Nico Coquillages, the various counters are just waiting for you to do your shopping. Affordable prices, a great approach by the creators to reduce margins without skimping on quality and seasonality. Bulk wine from the Alpilles. Organic grocery corner. A marvellously well thought-out address! I love the stained glass windows under the glass roof. Magnificent.

Under the large hall you will find all kinds of spices and dried fruits, including the famous Andijan almonds. The bazaar is also the right place to buy chapans, those traditional Uzbek coats, at the best price, or the tioupés. Above the bazaar on Zakirova Street, several small handicraft shops sell coats of slightly better quality (made of silk), traditional musical instruments, small Uzbek cribs... A visit to Chorsu is a must on any visit to Tashkent.

The pedestrian street of Beşiktaş is a very lively centre where it is happy to walk. Food stores, clothing, fast-food and restaurants. Small fish market near taverns. Small shopping centre at the entrance, Bosphorus.

Breeders come from the villages to sell their sheep, horses and cows to the city, sometimes in whole herds. For early risers, and if you haven't had the chance to visit Kyrgyzstan's other major livestock bazaars in Uzgen or Karakol, the Skotski bazaar could be a nice consolation prize. Like the other livestock bazaars, it's mainly active in the mornings, and you'll have the chance to witness some picturesque transactions.

This market is considered to be one of the most affordable markets in St. Petersburg for fresh produce. It was established in 1711. Its original name was Obzhorniy, which means "glutton" in French. Its many lively stalls are a real treat and invite you to wander through the aisles of this small neighbourhood market. On the left after the main entrance, a saleswoman from a charcuterie stall will make you a nice board to take away. Just point your finger at the delicacies that speak to you and the majestic owner of a solenias stand will accompany you with her beautiful homemade pickles.

Generally unloved, the neighbourhood of Tarlabaʂı, in the midst of "forced gentrification", has a bad reputation: crimes, drugs, prostitution. However, every Sunday, its market attracts: locals (mainly Kurdish, Roma and African minorities) to Erasmus students and other "expats". The market is a true cultural melting pot with a village spirit in the heart of downtown Istanbul. All in length, the market exposes an enormous quantity of fruit and vegetable stalls, fish, cheese, textiles... at unbeatable prices!

Via Sannio, located south of Piazza San Giovanni, is part of the Appio piazzale. There will be clothes, shoes and cheap clothes on cluttered displays, including second-hand coats and leather jackets. Good deals in the mess and mess! Go there on Saturdays, the day when there are more salespeople, and snoop around to find the rare pearl. You should know that there are a lot of second-hand clothing stalls in Rome, it's a very good plan, and ecological too!

Unlike the Pera market, only fish can be found in it. It can be interesting to see the different varieties that are sold at the auction. Nearby, inside the ramparts, a series of restaurants is set around a few pedestrian streets. Original practice: Addresses such as Küçük Liman, Havuzbaşı or Beyaz agree to prepare the fish you just bought. You pay only cooking and salad.

This huge open-pit bazaar covers several neighbourhoods and it really contains everything except food. On the side of Eminönü, they are well-established merchants with stands, while on the side of Beyazıt, the merchandise is scattered through the ground or on small mobile carts. Traders are as mixed as the articles they propose. Bulgarians, Romanians, Kurds, Russians or Caucasian give Attractive Colours to this Market.

This is the market where you have to go to find good fresh produce from a hundred or so merchants. Gourmets come here to stroll around or to mingle with the melting pot of people. Everyone enjoys the atmosphere by stopping on the terraces. Fruits, vegetables, cheese, poultry and charcuterie, as well as pastries, wine and flowers. Prices vary according to provenance and producers, but the special atmosphere deserves to go up to La Croix-Rousse to do your shopping.

This market is one of the largest and most popular in the city: it is held in the Fatih district on Wednesdays. Fatih is a very conservative part of Istanbul, so you will see very few tourists going to this market. More than 4,000 stalls spread over several avenues and about twenty streets, not to mention street vendors. Given the size, the traders are very varied: food, clothing, kitchen utensils...

This market is centred around the bus station. Smaller than the first one, it abounds in the same type of products: fruits, vegetables, sweets, drinks, and also operates in sections; the prices charged are about the same. It is convenient when you take a bus to and from the bus station to do some cheap shopping. If you arrive early and are not too busy, it is always an interesting exploration to do in addition, while organizing the stewardship and logistics of the rest of your trip.

Impressive, that's the word. On the outskirts of the city, this market is one of the most important in the Caucasus, one of the economic lungs of the city. It attracts merchants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Central Asia and Iran. The site opens with a spectacle of stalls that are continuously adjacent to each other, covering the hills. Quite off the tourist "action ground", this market is mainly aimed at locals, but it is always interesting to get off the beaten track and try to understand how the country works.

This gigantic bazaar consists of thousands of rail freight containers bought from Kazakhstan and Russia. On the ground floor the shop, upstairs the stocks. It is mainly wholesalers who come to Dordoy, a gigantic brewery of goods from China and Turkey supplying the bazaars of China, India, Russia and the whole of the former USSR. Costumes, fabrics, leather, carpets, ceramics, traditional clothing and even modern DIY and electronic products: everything can be bought and sold in Dordoy.

Tired of tourist markets where you are alpaca every three meters? You will have to cross the Bosporus and go to the Kadıköy district, on the Asian side. This huge market, with some 2,000 stalls, is more frequented by Istanbul residents than the Grand Bazaar or the Egyptian Bazaar. Here, only locals can find everything from clothing to household appliances, food and hardware, all at truly unbeatable prices.

The story goes that the bazaar is named after army deserters who came to get rid of their equipment and weapons in the early 1920s. A visit will allow you to taste a slice of Georgian life (in addition to the delicacies in your exploration). Colours, nothing but colours! The market is a discovery in itself: you can find everything, spices in shades, trinkets, everything that can be eaten or not. This market stretches all around the railway station. To be discovered off the beaten tourist track.

A picturesque market frequented by locals for foodstuffs, but also renowned for its stalls of bargain shoes sold at very good prices. If the Testaccio district is full of good addresses for lunch or dinner, you should know that its market is too. Mordi & Vai is one of the best sandwich shops in town! The bread is garnished with Roman specialties such as tripe or artichoke à la romaine. A great place to grab a bite to eat before visiting the neighborhood!

Every weekend, at the Mercato Campagna Amica, a stone's throw from the Circo Massimo, you can find the best of Lazio's products. Local farmers, all members of the Coldiretti (the Italian farmers' association), come to sell their products (cheese, cold cuts, fruit and vegetables, honey...). It's also the ideal place to eat a pasta dish or a porchetta sandwich in the large courtyard of the halls, which turns into a real lively canteen! On Sundays, you have to arrive early to find a table!