Shopping in Nişantaşı

Main streets

Abdi İpekçi, Teşvikiye and Valikonağı

Shop hours

Roughly 10 am to 7 or 8 pm; malls until about 10 pm

Sundays

Most shops and all the malls are open

Tax-free

VAT refunds for visitors who live abroad

The main shopping streets in Nişantaşı (Nisantasi) are Abdi İpekçi Street, with international luxury houses and the Beymen department store, and Teşvikiye and Valikonağı avenues, with Turkish and international high-street brands. Most shops open from about 10 am to 7 or 8 pm, also on Sundays, and visitors who live outside Turkey can claim back VAT. The best value is in Turkish fashion, leather and jewellery.

Nişantaşı is where Istanbul shops for fashion. International luxury houses, Turkish designers, concept stores and jewellers share a compact grid of streets that you can cover on foot in an afternoon, with a café on every corner when you need a break. See our food and cafés guide for where to stop.

The main streets

Abdi İpekçi Street

Istanbul’s luxury row. Most of the big international fashion houses have their Istanbul flagship here, in a single walkable stretch.

The Turkish name to know is Beymen, whose seven-floor flagship on Abdi İpekçi Street gathers international labels such as Prada, Fendi and Celine under one roof. Vakko, Turkey’s best-known fashion house since 1934, is the place for silk scarves. See brands in Nişantaşı.

Teşvikiye and Valikonağı streets

Busier and more varied: Turkish and international high-street brands, shoe shops, cosmetics and cafés. This is where most people actually shop.

The side streets

Wander off the main streets for independent Turkish designers, concept stores, bookshops and small jewellers. These are the places where you find something you cannot buy at home.

City’s Nişantaşı

A small, upmarket mall on Teşvikiye Street with fashion, a cinema and restaurants. Useful on a rainy afternoon.

What to buy

• Turkish designer fashion: Istanbul has a strong design scene, and Nişantaşı is where many Turkish labels have their own boutiques. Prices are often below those of international brands of similar quality.
• Jewellery: from established Turkish fine jewellers to small workshops with their own designs. Ask for an invoice and, for gold and precious stones, a certificate.
• Leather: jackets, bags and shoes are a Turkish speciality. Check the stitching and the lining, and try things on, as cuts vary.
• Home textiles: cotton peştemal towels, linen and fine bed linen are light to pack and make good gifts.
• Ceramics and home design: look for concept stores that mix tableware, candles and decorative pieces by local makers.
• Edible gifts: Turkish delight, baklava, Turkish coffee and tea from the neighbourhood’s patisseries and delis. Ask for baklava to be boxed for travel.

Malls nearby

If you want everything under one roof, several large malls are a short ride away, most of them on the same M2 metro line as Osmanbey.

• Cevahir: one of the city’s largest malls, with mid-range brands and a big food court. One M2 stop north, at Şişli-Mecidiyeköy.
• Kanyon: an upmarket, partly open-air mall with striking architecture, directly at Levent station, a few stops further north.
• Zorlu Center: luxury brands, restaurants and a performing arts centre, at Zincirlikuyu. A short taxi ride from Nişantaşı.
• İstinye Park: a large upmarket mall further north, best reached by taxi.

Directions, opening hours and what each mall is best for: malls near Nişantaşı.

Tax-free shopping for visitors

Visitors who live outside Turkey can usually claim back VAT on eligible purchases from participating shops.

1. Look for a tax-free sign in the window, or ask before you pay.
2. Show your passport at the till and ask for the tax-free form.
3. At the airport, have the form stamped by customs before check-in, with the goods unused and ready to show, then claim your refund at the refund desk.

Minimum purchase amounts and refund fees change, so ask the shop for the current rules. Allow extra time at the airport for the customs stamp, especially in summer.

Our step-by-step tax-free guide explains the customs stamp, the refund options and how much time to allow at the airport.

Opening hours and practical tips

• Street shops usually open between 10 and 11 am and close around 7 or 8 pm. Malls stay open later, typically until about 10 pm.
• Most shops and all the malls open on Sundays, although some smaller boutiques keep shorter hours or close. Weekday mornings are the quietest time to shop.
• Cards are accepted almost everywhere. Paying in Turkish lira is usually cheaper than letting the card terminal convert to your home currency.
• Clothes and shoes use European sizes.
• Prices in boutiques are fixed; bargaining is for the Grand Bazaar, not here.
• The big sales come in January and in summer. Our practical tips cover money and payments in more detail.

Which brands to look for: brands in Nişantaşı. When the discounts start: sales seasons in Istanbul.

Frequently asked questions