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Egyptian Market |
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Egyptian Market |
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PALACES, MOSQUES AND BAZAARS OF ISTANBUL
BAZAARS
The Covered Bazaar - A Miniature Town
The
Kapali Carsi or Covered Bazaar or Grand Baazar is one of Istanbul's
most intriguing sights. This labyrinth of vaulted roofed winding
streets and domed buildings evolved over a period of 250 years.
In the 15th century Sultan Mehmed II (1451-1481) built two stone
bedestens, or exchanges as a source of income for Ayasofya Mosque
(today Haghia Sophia Museum). Here merchants could store and sell
their valuable merchandise. Known as the Cevahir and Sandal Bedestens
respectively, these became the hub of Istanbul's commerce, and numerous
stalls and shops were built around them. In time the lanes lined
by these shops were roofed over for the convenience of shoppers,
creating the bazaar as we know it today. This ancient shopping centre
has suffered serious damage from earthquakes and fires over the
three centuries since it attained its final form around 1700.
Fires in 1701 and 1750 were followed by the
earthquake of 1766, and further fires in 1791 and 1826. Then came
the great earthquake of 1894, and most recently the fire of 1954,
after which restoration work continued for five years. For those
unfamiliar with the Kapaliçarsi and without a map it is easy to
become lost or wander in circles. It covers an area of 30.7 hectares
(75.8 acres), and consists of over 3000 shops and 61 streets, not
to mention ten wells, four fountains, two mosques, and several cafés
and restaurants. Around 25,000 people are permanently employed in
the bazaar, and an indeterminate number of street vendors ply their
wares in and around it. The heart of Turkey's gold market and unofficial
foreign exchange market beat here.
Over
the centuries travellers to Istanbul have found the exotic atmosphere
of this great bazaar, a miniature city within a city, irresistible.
In the past the bazaar was lit only by high windows beneath the
vaults, since the shopkeepers opened at first light and closed at
dusk. In the centre of the complex is the high domed hall of the
Cevahir Bedesten, also known as the Eski or iç Bedesten. Here the
most valuable items and antiques were to be found in the past, and
still are today, including copperware, amber prayer beads, inlaid
weapons, icons, mother-of-pearl mirrors, water pipes, walking sticks,
watches and clocks, candlesticks, old coins, and silver and gold
jewellery set with coral and turquoise.
The other 15th century hall, the Sandal Bedesten
(also known as the Yeni or Küçük Bedesten) is roofed by 20 domes
and lies at the northeast corner. The wayward, seemingly random
plan of the other parts of the bazaar is part of its fascination.
Surrounding the bazaar itself are numerous commercial buildings
known as hans, each a warren of small workshops on several floors,
often named after trades, such as Varakçi (Gold Leaf Maker) Han,
today long superseded. Until the end of the 19th century a family
could go on a shopping expedition to the Kapaliçarsi and purchase
new outfits from top to toe, all the furnishings and household linen
they required, have seal rings carved to order, and even equip the
master of the household with a variety of weapons; all under this
one roof.
Today souvenirs and gifts seem to dominate,
with rugs and jewellery a close second. The various tradesmen still
tend to be grouped together along particular streets, whose names
often recall items that have long since disappeared. There are the
streets of Helmet Makers, Fez Makers, Napkin Makers, Quilt Makers,
Calligraphers and Book Dealers, to name but a few. The book dealers
have since moved out of the main bazaar into a small open-air bazaar
known as Sahaflar Çarsisi next to Beyazit Gate. A leisurely afternoon
spent exploring the bazaar, sitting in one of the cafés and watching
the crowds pass by, and bargaining for purchases is one of the best
ways to recapture the romantic atmosphere of old Istanbul.
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