Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
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The Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı in Turkish) in Istanbul (at ) is one of the largest covered markets in the world with more than 58 streets and 4000 shops, and has 250,000-400,000 visitors daily. It is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by type of good, with areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like. The bazaar contains two bedestans, or domed masonry structures built for storage and safe keeping, the first of which was constructed in 1464 by the order of Mehmed II. In 1894, it underwent major restoration after an earthquake.
The major sections of Istanbul Grand Bazaar:
Inner Bedestan : It was the first building to rise in Kapalıçarş, actually it is Old Bedestan which forms the backbone of the bazaar. Name of the gates are : Bouquinistes, Hat Shops, Jewellery Shops and Costume Shops.
Sandal Bedestan : It has the most number of domes in Kapalıçarş. At present it can be accessed through two gates, one is through Kapalicarsi (main gate) and the other is through Nuruosmaniye district.
Other Sections of the grand bazaar: The architectural design of roads making up other sections apart from two bedestens is not symmetrical and geometrical, it has a scattered nature due to reflect its formation and the catastrophes it has gone through. In this way, it stays away from the closed bazaar style of the West and has a character of an Eastern bazaar. This laid back settlement; this scattered nature prevents the bazaar from being dull and at the same time gives it a romantic flavor. Such a complicated structure and settlement not only maintains the monumental state of the bazaar, but also makes it a palace for shopping.
[edit] See also
[edit] Gallery
 A labyrinth of shops |
[edit] External links
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