Turkiye's Grand Bazaar loses its character, no thanks to fake items

A shop in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar displaying items said to be from ‘luxury’ brands. — Photos: AFP

Cut-price branded perfumes and fake high-end handbags line the ornate alleys of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkiye, with traditional merchants saying the luxury counterfeits are stripping the marketplace of its character.

Where heritage Turkish crafts once flourished under the Ottoman-era marketplace’s painted ceilings, the elegant carpet store run by Hasim Gureli is now surrounded by shops selling designer dupes.