Antiques in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. Various souvenirs are to be found in the incredible Kapali Carsi of Istanbul.
Evil eye key-chains, bracelets and other souvenirs being sold in the stalls of the Grand Bazaar or the Kapali Carsi of Istanbul, Turkey.
This article is about the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey. For the Grand Bazaar in Tehran, Iran, see Grand Bazaar, Tehran.
Grand Bazaar
Kapalıçarşı
Kalpakçılar Caddesi, the gold jewellers' road, is one of the 61 covered streets inside the Grand Bazaar.
Location Istanbul (historically Constantinople) Turkey
Type Covered Bazaar
Beginning date 1455
Completion date After 1730
Dedicated to Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror
The Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalıçarşı, meaning "Covered Bazaar"; also: Turkish: Büyük Çarşı, meaning "Grand Bazaar") in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.
The Grand Bazaar is located inside the walled city of Istanbul, in the district of Fatih and in the neighbourhood (Turkish: Mahalle) bearing the same name ("Kapalıçarşı"). It stretches roughly from west to east between the mosques of Beyazit and of Nuruosmaniye. The Bazaar can easily be reached from Sultanahmet and Sirkeci by trams ( Line "T1", tram stop "Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı").
The Iç Bedesten has a rectangular plan (43.30 m x 29.50 m). Two rows of stone piers, four in each row, sustain three rows of bays, five in each row. Each bay is surmounted by a brick dome with blind drum. In the inner and in the outer walls have been built 44 cellars (Turkish: Mahzen), vaulted rooms without external openings. The sunlight in Bedesten comes from rectangular windows placed right under the roof: they can be accessed through a wooden ambulatory. Due to the scarce illumination, the edifice was kept open only some hours each day, and was devoted to the trade of luxury goods, above all textiles. Moreover, the Bedesten's Mahzen were also used as safes The building can be accessed through four gates: Second-hand book sellers Gate (Turkish: Sahaflar Kapısı) at North, Skullcap sellers Gate (Turkish: Takkeciler Kapısı) at South, Jewellers Gate (Turkish: Kuyumcular Kapısı) at East and Woman clothes Seller Gate (Turkish: Zenneciler Kapısı) at West.
The Sandal Bedesten has also a rectangular plan (40.20 m x 42.20 m), with 12 stone piers bearing 20 bays surmounted by brick domes with blind drum. In this case shops are carved only in the outer walls. In both edifices, each bay is tied to the others through brick arches tied by juniper beams, and masonry is made with rubble. Both buildings were closed by Iron gates.
Aside the Bedesten, originally the Grand Bazaar structures were built with wood, and only after the 1700 fire, they were rebuilt in stone and brickwork, and covered. All the bazaar edifices, except the fur dealers market (Turkish: Kürçküler Çarsısı), a later addition which is two-story, are one story. The roofs are mainly covered with tiles, while the part burnt in 1954 uses now tarmac. In the bazaar no artificial light was foreseen, also to prevent fires, and smoking was strictly prohibited. The roads outside the inner Bedesten are roughly parallel to it. Anyway, the damages caused by the many fires and quakes along the centuries, together with the repairs done without a general plan, gave to the market - especially in its Western part - a picturesque appearance, with its maze of roads and lanes crossing each other at various angles.
Source: Wikipedia
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