About Merter
Merter is the busiest wholesale fashion district in Turkey. Five to six thousand showrooms occupy six interconnected building complexes. Most showrooms are 60 to 200 square metres, glass-fronted, lit, and run by the family that owns the atelier upstairs or two streets over. Catalogues drop every fortnight. Cash and wire-transfer payments are normal; many showrooms accept USD, EUR and TRY in cash.
History & heritage
Merter developed from the 1970s onwards as Istanbul s working-class needle quarter, when families from the Black Sea coast and central Anatolia moved into Güngören to set up small cut-and-sew workshops. By the 1990s the district had densified into a vertical wholesale hub, with each building floor specialising in a category. The post-2010 modest fashion export boom turned Merter into a de facto global capital for hijab-friendly ready-to-wear.
Main streets & blocks
- ●Fatih Caddesi
- ●General Ali Rıza Gürcan Caddesi
- ●Mehmet Akif Caddesi
- ●Keresteciler Sitesi
- ●Merter Tekstil Sitesi
Who buys in Merter
- ●Boutique buyers from CIS, MENA and the Balkans
- ●European online retailers placing weekly micro-drops
- ●African resellers running suitcase trading
- ●Mid-tier department store buyers
Visit tips
- ●Visit Tuesday to Friday; Mondays many showrooms are still cataloguing the week s drop and Saturdays close early.
- ●Carry a printed look book or Pinterest board on your phone; visual references move conversations faster than English.
- ●Most buildings open from 09:00 to 18:30 with a one-hour lunch closure around 13:00.
- ●Bring small cash in TRY for samples and lunch even if you wire-transfer for bulk.
- ●Use an experienced agent for first visits, then negotiate direct after relationships are built.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I get to Merter wholesale market in Istanbul?
- Merter is reachable via M1A and M1B metro lines, Merter station exits directly into the wholesale district. Taxi from Istanbul Airport takes 25-40 minutes.
- What are typical MOQ in Merter showrooms?
- Most Merter showrooms accept MOQ of 50-300 pcs per style, with mixed-pack deals possible across SKUs in the same building.
- Is cash payment required in Merter?
- Cash USD or EUR is preferred for first orders, but established buyers can pay 30% deposit by bank wire and 70% before shipping.
- Which buildings are best for womens wear in Merter?
- Mevlana Iplikci, Tekstilkent, Olivium and Inci buildings host the largest concentration of womenswear showrooms.
- Can shipping be arranged inside the Merter market?
- Yes, freight forwarders and consolidators have offices inside the market, offering CIF, FOB and door-to-door shipping worldwide.