Grand Bazaar
29 Kasım 2024

Grand Bazaar

The history of the Grand Bazaar, located in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, dates back to the mid-15th century, during the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror. According to the foundation system, which was one of the most important practices that kept Ottoman institutions afloat, another income-generating structure was created to meet various needs such as repair and maintenance costs of mosques.

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The most important of these income-generating structures are the bazaars, and the foundations of the Grand Bazaar were laid in 1461 with the structures built by Mehmet the Conqueror to bring income to Hagia Sophia, and it has gradually grown with the additions made over the years. The Grand Bazaar, which became the most important commercial center of the entire region over time, hosted the richest tradesmen of Istanbul, and where jewels and precious jewelry from all over the world were traded, also served as a bank and financial center during these years.

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At the same time, the fact that it is seen as one of the places that best reflects Istanbul and Eastern life in the eyes of Europeans, as well as being included in many travel books and paintings by artists, also proves the historical and cultural importance of the Grand Bazaar. Grand Bazaar, defined as not only the oldest but also one of the largest shopping malls in the world, is built on an area of 45 thousand square meters and hosts 3,600 shops. The Grand Bazaar, which was the heart of the economy in the Ottoman Period, when it had even more shops than this number and covered a larger area, is now one of the frequent destinations of those who come to Istanbul and want to shop.

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Here you can find everything from carpets to bags, textile products, gold and silver jewelry, antiques, tiles and souvenirs. The Grand Bazaar, which is so large that it would not be possible to explore every part of it even if you spent the whole day just wandering, contains the new and the old, the traditional and the modern, just like the whole of Istanbul. For this reason, some of the products sold can be described as heritage from the Ottoman Period, while others can be described as the legacy of the modern world. There are many places to shop in the immediate vicinity of the Grand Bazaar. The street stretching between the Bazaar and Nur-u Osmaniye Mosque is lined with shops selling authentic materials, especially carpet sellers.

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You can find handmade souvenirs in Arasta Bazaar, located behind the Sultan Ahmet Mosque. Sultanahmet and its surroundings are another place where you can see all different products, apart from handcrafted souvenirs. We recommend those who are interested in old books to visit the Sahaflar Bazaar, which is located between the Beyazıt Mosque and the Grand Bazaar.

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Source Türkiye Culture Portal History of Istanbul