So, after braving the old bazaar and typical little shops around the marina in Antalya, just when we thought we were really done– although not really happy– with our shopping, I found an old hammam that had been converted into a store. On the outside, there was a mannequin in traditional dress twirling one leg– so captivating!
I tried really hard to find a website (or even a confirmed name) for this place, but I couldn’t! It looks to me like “bindatti” but that didn’t bring anything up for me on the web. [ One year later, as I was cleaning out a suitcase, I found a business card for this shop! It is Bindalli.] Anyway, just going inside this building was a treat. It was so beautiful!
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What made it even more amazing is that it had such a nice selection of things that I would actually want, and the quality was far superior to what we had seen everywhere else. And… All the merchandise was labeled with prices! And it was cheaper than what we had been paying! I guess I could have been pretty frustrated, but we really hadn’t bought much, and it was just great to be able to look quietly, assess the prices, and put things into a basket, rather than having someone arguing with me the whole time about why I really should buy this or that, lying to me about the quality, or pulling out tea glasses and whacking them on the floor to prove how thick the glass is. I mean, that was a very authentic cultural experience and all, but as far as perusing goes, this was WAY better. The store owner has figured out a thing or two about how Westerners like to shop! I was able to find some really nice, reasonable items here, and didn’t attempt to bargain at all. In return, the shopkeeper asked me to pick out a little thank you gift, and offered us tea.
It was really lovely, and if you visit Antalya, please be sure to look for the “dancing” costumed figure outside the shop near the Antik Bazaar. I was very glad I found it!
This definitely looks like my kind of place (and shopping experience), too! I’ll be sure to shop there if I visit Antalya!
Yes, you really should (visit Antalya, and stop there!) The more distance I have from the whole scenario, the more I wish I could have skipped the market and spent more time here. We were already pretty wiped out by the time we found this place, so we weren’t quite thinking clearly and didn’t have as much fun as we could have. Oh, well!
I love to be left alone when I shop. How come the rest of the world just doesn’t get that?
Seriously! Maybe they’re afraid it would come across as not caring? But they do care– SO MUCH!