The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, built in the 15th century, is one of the largest covered markets in the world. The bazaar is located east of Istanbul University, in the Beyazit neighbourhood. In ancient times, there were shops here that gave their proceeds to the Hagia Sophia Cathedral. During the Ottoman Empire, the Sultan ordered a Covered Market to be built on the site of the shops. It is believed that the market was founded in 1461. More precisely, in 1461 the Inner Market was built, which is located inside the Covered Market. But its outer part - Sandal-Bedesten - was built later. During its existence, the market expanded and today it looks like a small city covered with a common roof. The huge labyrinth bazaar covers an area of 30700 square metres.
The Grand Bazaar is a huge complex with 2600 stalls, 65 streets, 22 gates, 24 private hotels and market squares, 2 covered markets, restaurants, mosques, fountains and eateries. There are more than 500 shops selling gold articles. The owners of these stalls pay a monthly rent of $5-8, making the bazaar's trading tactics quite aggressive.
Stalls selling jewellery, carpets, ceramics and spices are very popular. Many stalls are grouped according to the type of goods being sold, i.e. separate areas are set aside for leather goods, jewellery, etc.
There are several gates to enter the Grand Bazaar, the most spectacular being the Nurosmane Gate. They are in the form of an arch in the Moorish style. The arch is decorated with a marble fountain, which was created in memory of the 1954 fire that destroyed a third of the market. Not far away is the Nurosmaniye Mosque, the first Turkish structure to be built in the Baroque style.
The main street of the Grand Bazaar is considered to be the Street of the Kolpachniki. It is on this glittering street that shoppers like to stop. Here you will find stalls selling silver and gold jewellery. If you turn right and walk further to the Old Bazaar, you can see an extraordinary collection of copper, gold and antiquities.
The goods are stored in two domed stone buildings located within the Grand Bazaar. One of the buildings was ordered to be built by Mehmed II in 1464. The Grand Bazaar was damaged in an earthquake that occurred in 1894. After the earthquake, reconstruction works were carried out. Currently, the Grand Bazaar attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 shoppers daily.
