Rarely does a tourist leave Istanbul without visiting its historically famous markets. Visitors to Istanbul are particularly attracted to the oriental atmosphere of the markets. Gifts and souvenirs for family and friends are usually bought here. One of the most famous markets here is the Egyptian Market or Mysyr Market Charshysy. The Egyptian Market is also known as the Spice Market. It is the second largest market in Istanbul after the Grand Bazaar. It is built in the shape mirror-image letter L and has six gates. The domes of the bazaar are covered with lead.
The Egyptian market stands behind the New Mosque, made famous by its pigeon square. It is situated at the very edge of the commercial quarter, where it opens up to the Golden Horn. It is the oldest market in the city of Istanbul. It was ordered to be built by the mother of Sultan Mehmed the Fourth in 1660 along with the the New Mosque. It was assigned a specific function: to provide funding for the mosque's construction. As the legends say, on the site of the existing one there was a market called "Marco Envalos" in the heyday of the Byzantine Empire. It was called the Egyptian or Mysyr, because the goods that were sold here were transported through Egypt, and ships coming from that country unloaded their cargoes at the market. If this version is to be believed, then the construction of the market was built with tax money from Cairo, the capital of the capital of Egypt. The very name "Egyptian market" appeared, first of all, in the people's lexicon, and only later did it receive official status.
The market survived two major fires in 1691 and 1940, and its modern appearance was given after the Istanbul administration was restored by the Istanbul administration. However, despite despite all these fires, the "Egyptian Market" has retained its characteristic features.
The market originally consisted of 86 shops, the so-called dukkans, where one could buy textiles and medicines. Currently, inside the market Market has about 105 shops and rest rooms. One part of the market is is two storeys high. The upper floors used to be the site of the commercial court, where disputes between the people and traders to settle disputes between the people and the traders. The square where the two wings of the market - the two wings of the market, long and short, is called the Square of Prayers. This name because from a small balcony on the first floor, prayers were recited, to bring good luck to the traders.
The Egyptian Market is a collection of shops selling condiments and cotton. As soon as you enter it, you will be greeted by these unique smells. In the spice stalls of the bazaar, you can buy spice sachets, ready-made and in bulk. Some spices (cinnamon, for example) used to be sold here for their weight in gold. No less mesmerising are the shops selling dried fruits and nuts. You can find all varieties of pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, figs, apricots, sultanas and coconuts.
