Shopping in Istanbul

Istanbul has the Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, and a carpet seller on every corner. These places are really interesting for their history, and exciting for shopping. The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest buildings, with little shops crammed in spaces, little walkways between. They sell the sames things, carpets, kilum, scarves, leather, shoes, dishes, turkish delight. The spice market sells SPICE! and cheese, tea, olive oil, plants, belly dance costumes.
I love the fruit tea that I brought home, I haven't dared get out any spices yet, Ron hasn't gotten over the smells yet.
I bought a sunflower collage, it is made of old tent material, with the original dyes, and sewed together.
I planned on buying a carpet, everyone is supposed to buy a carpet in Turkey, but they sell used carpets, not really antiques, but old, I just couldn't get into bringing home an old carpet for my floor. The new carpets, sold by goverment sponsored stores, gauranteed to be hand made, natural dyes, were $4000, I couldn't get into that either.
Oh yeah, there are cats all over the city! Everywhere!