Adana is a major province and city in southern Turkey, set on the fertile Çukurova plain where the Seyhan River flows toward the Mediterranean. As Turkey's fifth-largest city, it pairs ancient Cilician history with a famously fiery food culture, anchored by the six-minaret Sabancı Merkez Camii, the Roman Taşköprü bridge, and the world-renowned spicy Adana kebab. Beyond the city, the province spreads across Roman ruins, Hittite carvings, mountain viaducts, and the reservoir lakes of the Seyhan and Çatalan dams.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Şalgam (fermented turnip juice)
Adana's emblematic tangy purple drink of fermented black carrot, turnip, and bulgur, sold bottled in spicy (acılı) and mild versions to pair with kebab back home
Price: ₺40-120 per bottle (approx USD 1-3)
Where: Kazancılar Bazaar, supermarkets, şalgam producers such as Usta Şalgam
Biber Salçası (red pepper paste) and dried peppers
Sun-dried Çukurova red pepper paste and strings of dried peppers, the spice base of Adana cooking, sold in jars and tins at the old bazaar and village markets
Price: ₺120-400 per jar (approx USD 3-10)
Where: Kazancılar Bazaar, weekly pazar markets, spice shops near Yağ Camii
Bakır (handmade copperware)
Hand-beaten copper coffee pots (cezve), trays, bowls, and decorative pieces made by coppersmiths whose workshops gave the Kazancılar (coppersmiths') Bazaar its name
Price: ₺400-4,000 (approx USD 10-100)
Where: Kazancılar Bazaar coppersmith workshops near the Büyük Saat clock tower
Adana Yemenisi (handmade leather shoes)
Traditional flat hand-stitched leather shoes once worn across the Çukurova, still made by a few artisans in the old bazaar as a distinctive regional craft
Price: ₺600-1,800 (approx USD 15-45)
Where: Kazancılar Bazaar and old-town artisan workshops
Kilims and handwoven textiles
Regional kilims and flat-woven rugs with Çukurova and Anatolian motifs in natural dyes, plus woven cloth and table linens
Price: ₺1,500-12,000 (approx USD 38-300)
Where: Kazancılar Bazaar carpet shops, old-town textile dealers
Karakuş and Taş Kadayıf (Adana sweets)
Syrup-soaked local pastries unique to Adana, boxed to travel; karakuş is a diamond-shaped fried sweet and taş kadayıf a stuffed pancake in syrup
Price: ₺200-600 per box (approx USD 5-15)
Where: Old-town pastry shops, sweet shops near the clock tower
Bici bici mix and citrus products
Powder mixes for Adana's signature pink summer dessert bici bici, alongside Çukurova citrus products such as orange-blossom cologne, marmalades, and dried fruit
Price: ₺100-400 (approx USD 3-10)
Where: Bazaar food stalls, supermarkets, souvenir shops
Adana spices and sumac
Local red pepper flakes (pul biber), isot, sumac, and cumin blends used to season Adana kebab, sold loose by weight in the spice quarter
Price: ₺80-300 (approx USD 2-8)
Where: Kazancılar Bazaar spice sellers, shops around Yağ Camii
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Kazancılar Çarşısı (Coppersmiths' Bazaar)
Adana's historic covered old bazaar beside the Büyük Saat clock tower and the Yağ Camii, where coppersmiths, spice sellers, textile dealers, and food stalls fill a warren of atmospheric lanes in the heart of the old city.
Where: Ali Münif Caddesi, old town, Seyhan, Adana
Hours: Mon-Sat approx 9AM-7PM (most shops closed Sun)
Adana Weekly Pazar (neighbourhood produce markets)
Rotating open-air neighbourhood markets where Çukurova farmers sell seasonal produce, cheeses, olives, dried peppers, pepper paste, and household goods at low prices, each district holding its market on a fixed weekday.
Where: Various Seyhan and Çukurova district streets, Adana
Hours: Daytime on set weekdays by district (roughly 8AM-6PM)
Shopping districts
Neighbourhoods known for retail.
Kazancılar Old Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı)
The 16th-century covered bazaar in the old city, best for spices, dried chillies, copperware, and traditional souvenirs. Bargaining is expected.
Best for: Spices, pepper paste, copperware, kilims, traditional sweets
Atatürk Caddesi / Kurtuluş
The main modern shopping thoroughfare through central Seyhan, with clothing boutiques, shoe shops, jewellers, and cafés.
Best for: Fashion, shoes, everyday goods
Yüreğir retail strip
Eastern Adana around the Optimum Outlet and M1 Adana offers big-box retail, outlet fashion, and hypermarket shopping.
Best for: Outlet fashion, electronics, hypermarket
Malls & modern shopping
Air-conditioned, international brands, and food courts.
Adana Optimum Alışveriş ve Eğlence Merkezi
Hours: Daily 10:00-22:00
M1 Adana Alışveriş Merkezi
Hours: Daily 10:00-22:00
Esas 01 Burda AVM
Hours: Daily 10:00-22:00
Bargaining tips
Negotiate like a local.
Bargaining (pazarlık) is expected at craft and textile stalls in the Kazancılar Bazaar; start at around half the asking price and meet somewhere in the middle
Prices in malls, supermarkets, and restaurants are fixed; do not try to bargain there
The best time to negotiate is late afternoon when vendors want to clear stock before closing
Never insist on a price the seller has repeatedly refused; thank them and move to the next stall if necessary
Carry small Turkish Lira cash for bazaar purchases; many small workshops do not accept cards
Accepting a glass of çay (tea) from a shopkeeper is part of the ritual; enjoy it without feeling obliged to buy
Customs & restrictions
What you can and can't take home.
Items:
- Custom
- Tea before transactions
- Description
- Shopkeepers often offer çay (tea) as hospitality; accepting is polite and expected before or during negotiations at craft stalls
- Custom
- Bargaining in the bazaar
- Description
- Haggling is normal and expected in the Kazancılar Bazaar for crafts and textiles; a respectful, friendly tone is essential
- Custom
- Fixed prices at malls
- Description
- Modern malls and chain stores have fixed, non-negotiable prices; attempting to bargain here will cause confusion
- Custom
- Cash in the old bazaar
- Description
- Many small artisan stalls and food vendors prefer cash; carry small TRY notes
- Custom
- Right hand for payments
- Description
- Use the right hand to give and receive money, and to pass or accept goods