"Haggling in Istanbul is the real Turkish delight
By james dolan
Publish Date: 10-Nov-2005
Just a short walk from Istanbul’s iconic Blue Mosque is the city’s colourful, chaotic Grand Bazaar. James Dolan photo.
Just a short walk from Istanbul’s iconic Blue Mosque is the city’s colourful, chaotic Grand Bazaar. James Dolan photo.
Mehmet looked at me with stern eye. “Eight million lira,” he said. I glanced back at him, then down at the small, handpainted bowl. Eight million… What was that? About seven bucks. I winced, as if in pain. We did not speak for a moment. I shook my head, slowly, and let out a breath. “Five million,” I replied.“Seven million, my friend,” he responded, quickly. “That is best price. Best price.” “Tamam,” I said, trying to sound as confident and as Turkish as I could. “Okay. I’ll take it.” I passed the bills to Mehmet and took the bowl, smiling to myself. I was pleased with my haggling experience. But hang on a second—why was Mehmet grinning?"
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