Kapalı Çarşı
The Kapalı Çarşı ( Ottoman قپالی چارشو “Covered Market” ), in German called “Grand Bazaar” or “Large Covered Bazaar”, is a business district in the old Istanbul district of Eminönü in the Beyazıt district . Today it belongs to the Fatih district .
The Grand Bazaar extends over 31,000 m² and houses around 4,000 shops with a wide variety of offers. It was created in the 15th century under Sultan Mehmet Fatih after the conquest of Constantinople . The center is the Eski Bedesten (translated: old cloth hall) - originally planned as a treasury - under whose domes the shops of the gold and silver traders are still located today. The Eski Bedesten used to be tightly locked and housed the particularly expensive goods. Later the hall even took on the function of a bank - wealthy private individuals used it as a safe for their private assets. Suleyman the Magnificent later had the Yeni Bedesten (translated: New Cloth Hall) built, which is now called Sandal Bedesten . The entire bazaar was originally made of wood. After several serious fires, Sultan Mustafa III. rebuild the buildings partly out of stone.
As is usual in bazaars, the shops in the Grand Bazaar are sorted by branch, which can often be recognized by the street names (e.g. at Halıcı Sokağı , the carpet dealer street and at the Sahaflar caddesi , the antique dealer street ). Outside of business hours, not only the shops but also the numerous entrances to the covered alleys are locked.
Impressions
A 17th century kiosk
One of the four marble fountains
After closing time
Lamp shop
Fountain taps
Hustle and bustle
tea
A Turkish flag
literature
- Çelik Gülersoy: Story of the Grand Bazaar , Istanbul 1980, ISBN 975-7687-02-2 , openlibrary.org
Web links
Coordinates: 41 ° 0 ′ 38 ″ N , 28 ° 58 ′ 5 ″ E