Arasta Bazaar

Arasta Bazaar

“Arasta” is a bazaar where handcraft products are sold. The Arasta Bazaar is located directly behind the Blue Mosque, on the north side of Torun Street. There are more than seventy stores in the bazaar.  It is also known as the “Sipahi Çarşisi” in Turkish because the needs of the Sipahi (the name of an Ottoman cavalry corps) were sold here during the Ottoman period.   The Arasta Bazaar was re-built on Byzantine ruins and is located on a narrow street with many lovely gift shops selling carpets, kilims, travel souvenirs, İznik tiles, scarves, etc on both sides of the street. The mosaics found in the environs of the Arasta Bazaar during excavation works in 1930s proved that the territory once had belonged to a Byzantine Palace complex.      After a fire in 1912, the bazaar lay in ruins for a long time. Later, it was occupied by slum residents. The slums were laterremoved and shops were restored. The Bazaar was put into service by the General Directorate of Turkish Foundations in the 1980s.

Egyptian Bazaar

Egyptian Bazaar

It is said that an old bazaar called Makron Envalos previously existed where the current Egyptian Bazaar stands. The Egyptian Bazaar with its L-shape structure is located on the west side of the New Mosque (Yeni Cami). The year following the mosque’s construction, the "bazaar" section of the complex has been added by Mustafa Ağa, the head-architect of the Ottoman Palace. The main reason for it being called the “Egyptian Bazaar” is that it was built by the taxes collected from Cairo, Egypt. After the 18th century, this name began to be commonly used. The bazaar was originally called the “Valide Bazaar” or the “New Bazaar,” then it was later called the “Mısır Çarşısı” (Egyptian Bazaar). It has six doors total. The part near the Haseki Gate was designed as a double-storied structure and the upper floor also used as a court hall where cases between tradesmen and people were heard.  At the intersection of the the short and long branches of the bazaar an area is called the “Prayer Field” (Dua Meydanı) is located where an “Adhan ( Muslim call to prayer) Kiosk” is found. This section, designed and built  out of wood, is the most notable part of the Bazaar. Once the bazaar opens, an officer in charge calls a prayer for the tradesmen and wishes them a high income. Not only have spices been sold in the Egyptian Bazaar, but all sorts of medicines were sold during the old times in the bazaar as well.  Signs used to be posted in conspicuous area of the shops. Most of the medicines were prepared according to the recipes from the book, “Nüzhet-ül Fi Tercüme-Afiyet” (A good appetite). Today, the bazaar has jewelry stores, herb and spice sellers, gift shops, etc. The Egyptian Bazaar suffered heavy losses during the two large fires in 1691 and 1940. It took its present shape in 1940 after being restored by the Municipality of Istanbul.

The Covered Bazaar

The Covered Bazaar

The Covered Bazaar is a large complex consisting of 61 streets, 4400 shops, 2195 workshops, 18 fountains, 2 bedestens (vaulted and waterproofed areas of the bazaar where valuable goods are kept), 40 inns, 12 small mosques (mescit), 12 warehouses, 1 school, 1 bath, and 19 water wells. The main gates of the Covered Bazaar are Beyazıt, Fesçiler, Sahaflar, Kürkçüler, Nuriosmaniye, Mahmutpaşa, Mercan, Tacirciler and Örücüler. The bazaar is traditionally closed after sunset. However, it was opened twice at night; first, during the  fire in 1546, and during the celebraton ceremonies of Abdulmecit’s (1839-1861) return from his campaign in Egypt. Most sections of the Covered Bazaar are built of wood during the reign of Suleiman The Magnificient (1494 – 1566) as an extension to the old part which was built during the reign of Mehmet II. The wooden part, which suffered great damage from three large fires, first in 1546 (the reign of Suleiman The Magnificent), second in 1651 (the reign of Murad V) and lastly in 1710 (the reign of Mustafa II), was rebuilt using stone. The Covered Bazaar, with an area of 31.000 m², resembles a labyrinth. The roof is covered with lead and has numerous domes. Moreover, the Inner Bedesten (İç Bedesten), which is reported to have existed since the Byzantine period, measures 48x36m² with 8 columns and 15 domes. From the past to the present, the bazaar has been repaired and restored many times. The most notable damage to the bazaar occurred during an earthquake in 1894. The bazaar, with its architectural style designed specifically for enclosed shopping centers, entertains many visitors who come for both commercial and touristic purposes from different countries speaking different languages every day.