Antique Shopping in Istanbul: Tellalzade Street

The first time I wandered onto Tellalzade Street was a complete coincidence. My friend and I, both new to the bright and bold city of Istanbul, had been navigating Google Maps, trying to find our way back to the ferries. A guy trying to lure us into a restaurant was on our heels, and we were rushing blindly to the next street with only escape on our minds. I had caught a glimpse of a neat, cobblestone path and pulled my friend into it without a second thought. And just like that, we had accidently stumbled onto Tellalzade Street.

The sea of steady chatter and distant shouts of sellers suddenly seemed to dissipate away on this random street we had tripped onto in a rather Alice-In-Wonderland fashion. Queer little stores neatly lined up along the street. An elderly gentleman lounging on a chair outside his store gazed at us placidly over his cup of tea. Further down, a group of old men were playing a quiet game of cards, occasionally grunting in protest or shifting to watch passersby. And soaked in this serenity, lounging on dusty bookshelves and tables were pieces of history frozen in time. From old records to small pieces of mismatched cutlery to telescopes to 15th century mosaics…almost anything from any point in time had somehow found a home on this golden little street in Kadıköy.

As I edged towards a gaudy statue of Romanesque origins, the shopkeeper lingering outside invited us in and let us wander through his magical collection of oddly matched furniture, all of which were way out of the budget of two first-year university students. When I hesitantly pointed towards a doll-sized teacup with delicate gold embellishments on its side, the shopkeeper gestured towards the storage room where he proceeded to bring out an entire doll-sized tea set and even pulled out matching spoons and his personal favorite tea cozies his wife had crocheted. I was immediately sold.

Antique shopping had always been a distant interest of mine, stemming from a childhood of my father bringing home the most bizarre pieces of furniture that some British officer once owned. Living in a home that resembles a war museum does leave a strong impression on a child. But I never had had the freedom nor the resources to really delve into the world of antiques until I moved to Istanbul.

Istanbul is infamous for many things: a metropolitan city with rich culture and history and incredible food. And yet the one thing that a lot of tourists and foreigners living in this city fail to appreciate is the budding antique business. Hidden behind the many tourist traps of Grand Bazaar lies little nooks and crannies of shops that will introduce you to a brand-new world.

Antique shopping in Istanbul can be a truly magical experience… if you are willing to spend hours wandering through dusty shops and back-end streets. After all, antique shopping is (as cliché as it sounds) more about the journey than the destination. And as anyone remotely interested in antique shopping knows, the destination generally has a rather hefty price tag attached to it. But if the journey is truly something you want to undertake, nothing will be as magical and charming as Tellalzade Street, Kadıköy.

After that first chance encounter, I began to explore more of the city’s intricate antiquing scene, but none were as charming and eccentric as Tellalzade Street. Snuggled a street away from the chaotic Fish Market of Kadıköy, Tellalzade Street truly feels like a separate universe, with its sleepy atmosphere and a comforting silence that hangs in the air. Easier to access and in one of the main hubs of the city, the street is a great place to start if you want to dip your toes in the world of antiques but are unsure where to begin. With equal parts high-end stores and smaller outlets for cheaper finds, this place offers a great starting point to delve into what could possibly be a new passion (or just to find some bizarre decoration piece to serve as a conversation starter in your living room).

First rule of antique shopping: don’t be afraid to look around for hours. I promise, no one will judge you for wandering in and out of different shops to compare items. Whether you are looking for cutlery, furniture, old records, tea sets…there are unlimited options to browse through and compare. Even if you don’t have a plan, you’ll still eventually end up stumbling upon something you really like. And the best part is that the shopkeepers are more than willing to help you! Many of the shopkeepers surprisingly knew fluent English and were willing to give me suggestions.

One even gave me free vintage posters after he found out I was a foreigner. Which brings me to the second rule of antiquing: bargain like your life depends on it! Talk to the shopkeepers, ask them any queries you might have, try to compare similar items in different stores. And the last, perhaps most important rule: have fun! Chat with the shopkeepers, take a coffee break (or two) at the many cafes on the street, and make a day of it! One of my favorite places to visit here is Zeki Göker Kültür Merkezi, a cozy little coffee shop tucked away under an attached bookstore. With a charming interior and a diverse menu, this place should most definitely be on your visit list!

As my father is rather fond of saying, if it isn’t going to make your pockets hurt, it isn’t worth it. While this advice could work in certain situations, let’s be honest: no one is willing to cash out money for a 15th century engraving only interesting to historians. Perhaps that is what has always charmed me about antiques: it truly is an ode to a lost art. Wandering through centuries of history, jumping from Ottoman paintings to Roman sculptures to Arab maps in mere seconds. Antiquing is more than just crumbling furniture, more than just for academics, and no longer inaccessible. And Tellalzade Street is a doorway for those that want to discover this art once more.

Images courtesy of the author.

This article was originally published on November 17, 2020, by Umaima Munir.