Local Markets / Organic Bazaars
Traditional open and covered markets can be found in every city in Türkiye.
Traditional open and covered markets can be found in every city in Türkiye. At these markets, you can taste and purchase fresh or dried fruits and vegetables, local cheese, and yogurt, and meet the hospitable vendors from around the area.
Here are just some of the hundreds of local markets across the country:
Ayvalık, Balıkesir
The market takes place every Thursday in Ayvalık, an important seaside town, and features a unique variety of Aegean vegetables and fruits. By shopping here, you can support traditional and local producers and eat like a local at the same time – a green traveller’s dream!
Sığacık, İzmir
Sığacık, a small town of Seferihisar on the Aegean Sea coast, was Türkiye’s first Slow City (Cittaslow). The Sığacık Local Producers’ Market, held every Sunday, has gained a nationwide reputation for upholding its local values, and despite its popular reputation, the market retains its authenticity. Among the vendors selling fruits and vegetables, jams, and handcrafted products, you’ll come across many women vendors and products created by the efforts of female artisans.
Cumalıkızık, Bursa
Cumalıkızık, once the capital of the Ottoman Empire and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is open every day of the week in the village square, featuring stalls set up by women who produce traditionally. Take a stroll among the stalls for an authentic Turkish experience!
Tire, İzmir
The Tire district, one of the most important traditional agricultural production centres in Türkiye, is famous for its marketplace. Handiwork, olive oils, vegetable and fruit varieties, and kitchen utensils can be found here. If you visit the market, which takes place on Tuesday every week, be sure to sample the famous Tire meatballs and legendary black mulberry curd dessert. Just delicious!
Ecological Markets
In service since 2006, organic markets in Türkiye contribute to environmental and cultural sustainability and provide thousands of people with access to organic food. The markets operating within the scope of the Wheat Association's “100% Ecological Markets” project are in Bakırköy and Şişli in Istanbul, Izmit, Kartal, and Kocasinan in Kayseri.
Earth Markets
The international network of Earth Markets, launched by the Slow Food Biodiversity Foundation to provide healthier access to good, clean, and fair food, includes four markets in Türkiye: Tarsus, Şile, Gökçeada, and Foça.
Earth Markets in Türkiye are helping to combat the impact of climate change and protect heirloom seeds, promote organic agriculture, and boost the gastronomic supply chain.
Slow Food
The Slow Food movement in Türkiye not only encourages people to take the time to prepare and eat food entirely from local sources but also aims to protect cultures and heritages that are gradually being subsumed by a mindset of rapid consumption. Through our food choices, we can collectively influence how food is grown, produced, and distributed and, as a result, together, we can change the world!
The global “Ark of Taste” project, run by the Slow Food Biodiversity Foundation, travels the world collecting small-scale quality products originating from cultures, history, and traditions across the entire planet to support small producers and promote their products. The list includes 79 local and regional products from Türkiye.
