Since its days as exotic Byzantium and Constantinople, Istanbul has been a city of great wealth and superlative luxury. An historic mercantile center, this half-European, half-Asian metropolis boasts some of the world’s finest, and frankly, most enjoyable luxury shopping. For the well-healed adventurer, the birthplace of the famed "Grand Bazaar" on the shores of the Bosphorus and Marmara Sea will enchant and satisfy even the most discerning tastes.

The discriminating visitor will arrive prepared for Istanbul shopping: knowing what you want and ready for the subtleties of negotiation. Friendly parley over cost is both expected and appreciated by the Turks. Istanbul is, in fact, a place for the sophisticated bargainer. Unlike the raucous markets of Arab cities or the souks of Morocco, you must display sublime patience and polite persistence, whether the deal’s worth $40 or $40,000. Yet perhaps the hardest decision will be choosing amongst stylish luxury hotels where Turkey’s traditional, amiable, and attentive service transcends the usual trappings of today’s cookie-cutter, deluxe accommodations.

Seven surveys trips to the Turkish capital of commerce since 2003 turned up the following areas for some creative and inspired shopping: rugs, gourmet foods, furniture and home decor. In addition, a shopping escapade to Istanbul cannot be surpassed for immersing yourself in the more personal experiences of Byzantine luxury still living to this day. Rugs

The kilims, carpets, and sumacs found in Sultanahmet make Istanbul the world’s foremost center for serious rug collectors and home decorators alike. Seventy percent of tourists return home with a Turkish carpet, but few take the time to discern and choose quality, or to consider that since the fall of the Soviet Union, Istanbul has become the center for commerce in precious and rare hand woven textiles from all Central Asian republics. Every grade, weave, and color scheme exists in the showrooms, small and large, of Istanbul’s historic center, surrounding the Blue Mosque and Haggia Sophia. (See sidebar on carpets, kilims, and sumacs).

Our advice: after making a brief pedestrian survey of several Sultanahmet shops, choose two whose quality you like and deal with them in a gentle dance of negotiation. This tactic produces better results than canvassing a myriad of vendors for comparison shopping. You will end up with better prices, better carpets, and a better education in the finer points of what makes these hand woven treasures valuable.

Looking at rugs will take hours, perhaps days, and many, many Turkish coffees. The Turks are superb businessmen, and have perfected the art of selling, taking time to deal individually with each client. We have sorted through the hundreds of stores in Sultanahmet and recommend the following to get you started: For decorator-quality rugs, check out Van Halicilik at number 149 in the Arasta Bazaar, just below the spectacular Blue Mosque. Ask for Mr. Asim Erdogan, a distinguished gentleman with a pipe who deals fairly and has a good selection of contemporary kilims.

For one of the finest gatherings of individually-chosen rugs in all price scales, including older rugs and other textiles, go see Hamza Yildiz or his brother Mehmet at Noah’s Ark Carpets & Kilims Collection (Ticarethane Sokak No. 11, Sultanahmet). Hamzah or Mehmet will educate you about Turkish rugs, wool quality, weaving, and double knots, then expose you to a wide selection of offerings matching your individual requirements, he and his assistant combing through piles of woolen wonders for you.

If you want to deal with Hamza electronically, he also now has an excellent web site that offers not only rugs and jewelry for sale, but also informative articles on tribal art. See www.seeingisdreaming.com. Gourmet Foods

Without actually visiting Iran, Istanbul ranks as the ultimate place for purchasing the best grades of Caviar in the world. A simple trip to the Spice Bazaar in Ominonu, near the historic center of Sultanahmet, will provide multiple vendors vying for your business in Iranian and Russian caviar, including Beluga. We found the shop named, appropriately enough, "Istanbul" amongst the best (Spice Bazaar stall No. 15, Eminonu, Tel. +90 212 512 84 00) for caviar purchases from mere grams to entire kilograms.

Once the end of the famed Silk Road, route of the spice trade, Istanbul still retains its preeminence in culinary flavorings; so while choosing your caviar, don’t forget to pick up some wonderful, fragrant, and deeply flavorful Paprika, pepper paste, Curry, or black, white, rose, or red peppercorns.

Scouring the Asian-side food markets around Uskudar, we found fresh morel mushrooms of superb quality. The price, a mere fifteen million . . . Turkish Lira, that is, or about $10 per pound. These delicacies, which count among the 5-star mushrooms of any connoisseur’s kitchen, store well, and can travel intact back home, where they can be enjoyed fresh or dried for future use. Take a stroll in any of the many Asian-side food markets, and you will find these treasures and more. You will find ferries departing regularly for various Asian-side ports from the Eminonu wharfs. Furniture & Home Decor

With their tradition of handcrafting and one of the only European locations that still has sufficient timber resources, Turkey produces elegant wooden furniture, often combined with hand woven kilim or carpet upholstery to make for unique and gorgeous home or office decoration. Custom ordering is the way to go, even to the point of picking out particular rug designs and colors you want used in your furniture. You can also provide samples of the style you would like reproduced and choose from a variety of hardwood options. Always deal with actual manufacturers, and not those representing the work of others. Two service-oriented options: Find Kenan Can at Can Hali Pazari (Klodfarer Cad. No. 25, Sultanahmet). Kenan is a charming customer service professional, who will assist in furniture design and also attend to packing, shipping, and brokerage services. Faruk Tekin of Seyitagaogullari (see above under rugs) also makes furniture and is a specialist in the use of old kilims for upholstery as well as stylish shoes, handbags, and briefcases.

For a variety of home decoration options to compliment your new rugs and furniture, Istanbul’s best lies in hand painted ceramic and quartz tiles, textiles other than rugs, and hand worked silver. The most stunning and most prized hand painted tiles descend in tradition from the artisans who decorated the resplendent Topkapi Palace and other historic residences of Sultans and Pashas. Made from quartz rock rather than ceramic, these tiles literally gleam and glow with vibrant colors. We recommend talking to Mr. Ozgur Aydin of Amphora in the Arasta Bazaar, No. 147, who has a wide selection of both ceramic and quartz objects.

Hand worked silver, including wonderful vases, traditional rose water holders, and candelabras, have remained a tradition from Ottoman times. Mr. Semih Arkan’s store Khalkedon, on the Galata Bridge over the Bosphorus, has selected some of the finest silver decorative items as well as jewelry (Galara Koprusu No. 15, Eminonu Tel. +90 212 528 95 43). Taking Some Time Out for Yourself

Three hotel recommendations:

Sultanahmet Palace Hotel, While not quite as posh as the Four Seasons or the Kempinski, we have found the Deluxe Rooms at the Sultanahment Palace to be an extremely good value with an excellent location. Deluxe rooms overlook either the Blue Mosque or the Marmara Sea and the Asian shores of Istanbul. All Deluxe rooms with a sea view have also have charming private balconies. These rooms also have en- suite turkish bathroom (i.e. a mini hammam in your hotel room), direct dial telephone, central air-conditioning, satellite TV, radio, minibar, hair-dryer, and 24 hour room srvice. (Torun Sokak, No:19 34400 Sultanahmet-İstanbul; +90 212-4580460)

The Four Seasons Hotel, Sultanahmet in the heart of the ancient city near Haggia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and most of the shops described here, the Four Seasons prides itself on individual service and truly sumptuous surroundings. The hotel is housed in the 19th century former prison that inspired the movie, Midnight Express.

For another step above, the Kempinksi Hotel Ciragan Palace, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, occupying a sprawling center of luxury right on the Bosphorus, will meet even the most demanding traveler’s requirements. Converted from the last Ottoman Sultans’ palace, the hotel lies within walking distance of beautiful Ortakoy district, with many restaurants and shops, and Sultanahmet is an easy taxi, limousine, or ferry ride away. Here, you may want to hire the services of Istanbul’s only Rolls Royce rental, which also charters private yachts for trips up the Bosphorus. (Iskele Meydani Sok. No. 3, Ortakoy, Tel. +90 212 259 8939).

Shave, Facial, Massage, & more: Step back to the time before disposable razors and hectic schedules. Your hotel barber or any of the many around Sultanahmet will treat you to an hour or two of a double straight-razor shave, facial cleansing, and upper body massage. There’s nothing better after a hard day of selective shopping. The Turks excel at the art of relaxation in other ways, too. The Hammams are direct descendants of the Roman baths, Turkish Hammams provide a total body cleansing and thermal treatment plus massage. Ask your hotel concierge for a local recommendation.

Four Seasons Hotel, Istanbul, www.fourseasons.com/istanbul, +90 212 638 82 00

Kempinkski Hotel Ciragan Palace, www.ciragan-palace.com, +90 212 258 33 77