Photos: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Nevit Dilmen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo credits
Photos: Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Nevit Dilmen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Mardin's bazaar, spices and soap, on camera
Your local guide
Newroz Kaya
View profile
Highlights
- Spice blends specific to the region
- Ingredients used in kaburga dolması
- Handmade soap stacked at a stall
- A recipe passed down through families
- Two trades sharing one market street
About this tour
This session walks through Mardin's bazaar, from its spice stalls to a stall selling handmade soap. You see the dried herbs and spice blends used in local cooking, then bars of soap made to a recipe passed down through a small number of families. Together the stops trace two very different trades that share the same market street.
I begin with a sound check at the spice stalls, then we move along the street while you ask questions about the products. I stop a little longer at the soap stall to explain the recipe's history. At the end I send a short list of the ingredients we discussed.
This suits anyone curious about Mardin's everyday trade rather than only its architecture. It also suits someone looking to bring something specific home from the market.
Included
- Live video session with a local guide
- A close look at the dishes and where locals buy them
- A short list of places and dishes to try later
Not included
- Food and drinks shown on camera
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Mardin before heading out.
-
Spice Stalls 21 min
The camera moves along stalls piled with dried herbs and spice blends specific to the region. I explain a few ingredients used in dishes like kaburga dolması.
-
Soap Stall 21 min
You see bars of handmade soap stacked at a nearby stall. I point out how the recipe has been passed down among a small number of families in the city.
-
Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Mardin: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Sıra (a local grape drink) and Savurkapı, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Istanbul time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Mardin, showing you Spice Stalls and Soap Stall live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to buy or cook anything?
No. This is a conversation: the guide describes the dishes and where to find them, so you can try them yourself whenever suits you.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I show you Mardin's bazaar live with my phone.
Times shown in Istanbul time (GMT+3)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Mon 26 Oct · 10 seats left From 19,00 €
Book