Of course there’s more to Istanbul than the floor. There’s the famous Hagia Sofia mosque, Topkapi Palace, several contemporary galleries – Istanbul Modern and Santral both great and the latter in a former power station that gives it a Tate Modern feel – and delicious stuffed veg. But you can get all that in The Lonely Planet so here’s my pick of the shops. First, the Grand Bazaar indoor market in Sultanhamet (the old town) on the Asian side of the city. A place famous for antiques, carpets and jewellery. Weird then, that my pulse quickened at the sight of…towels.

This is niche store Abdulla (note the floor) with its hundreds of hammam towels of the ilk you can buy from Toast, but at around half the price. There were also lovely coloured silk scarves, beaten metal bowls, handspun throws, quilts and Kilim rugs. The website does not do the shop justice.

Next, Robinson Crusoe on Istiklal Caddesi, Istanbul’s Oxford street, but with nicer cafes. The store sells English-language books, including a huge section on design, and has tasty shelves. A lovely place to linger before hitting the Cukurcuma area of Beyoglu for antique and junk shops.

I lost track of the many places, but basically located Cukurcuma on a map then weaved through more beaten metal bowls, carpets, the Turkish Lassco, lots of retro tin toys plus the kind of bric-a-brac you find in the UK (did not expect to find a map of the Firth of Clyde).

Then Gallery Autoban for a totally different shopping scene – or more floor peeping, depending on your budget and agenda.

A final word on Istanbul (promise). It was definitely worth finding Yastik by Rifat Ozbek (yes, the fashion designer) in Tesvikiye – a sort of Bond Street area. The shop is devoted to cushions, many of them made from vintage fabrics that Ozbek has collected over years. I was so completely bedazzled by the patterns jumping out from the all-white shop, I forgot to photograph the place. You can see it here though or check out my purchases.