Once a week the vendors come and line certain streets with their fresh produce. They constantly say "Buyrun, Buyrun". Which basically means can I help you? Many of them offer similar products so it comes down to who has the best price, most beautiful display and loudest voice.
The produce is mainly grown in Turkey with a few exceptions these days(I've seen chiquita stickers).
The pazar persists even in the winter. You can get a kilo of leeks for 1 lira...most things are priced around 1 lira up to about about 3 lira per kilo. Really inexpensive and fresh. You do have to watch out because you don't pick each item of produce yourself. You say how much you want and the vendor quickly scoops from his well placed pile and tosses it into the scale. The vendors meticulously place their veggies beautiful side up with all blemishes out of site especially for the yobangi(foreigner). But hey I just need to practice my Turkish while watching and learning from the older women on a mission loading their carts
Look at these big beautiful leeks. Turks will throw some salt on the end and eat them raw like a carrot. Actually they seem to throw salt on everything.
Huge load of celery root. At the end of the day the vendors pack up to head back to their nearby village or maybe they will go to a different city for a next day pazar. After they go the street is littered with trash and vegetable peelings. The city comes by at night to clean up after them.
I love the pazar. Walking up and down the tight street looking at the goods and the people. I am proud that I feel comfortable going by myself...I have learned a few Turkish sayings "jarem kilo lutfen(half kilo please) or iki tane (two pieces). Here in Eskisehir some big news since I had been gone is the new mall. Don't get me wrong I like the selection at the Carrefour but with big shopping centers on the rise I appreciate the pazar even more.
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