Turkey Holiday sights istanbul GRAND BAZAAR
The
Grand Bazaar (Kapaliçarsi in Turkish) in Istanbul is one of
the largest covered markets (Bazaar) in the world with more than 58 streets
and 4000 shops. 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
regions for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like. The bazaar contains
two bedestens, 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. It has 250,000-400,000
daily visitors.
In the Eastem culture, the wealth of trade shows itself not in the decoration
and extemal appearance of the shops, but with the abundance and value
of the merchandise. What made the Grand Bazaar rich was thus the abundance
of goods and the variety of crafts applied. The stores used to be so
smail and tidy that they were called 'closets'. The owner would sit cross-legged
on a knee high platform, reach the shelves easily and without having
to stand up, and make his sale. Some closets would have smail chairs
placed in front of them for customers. At night they would be sealed
with hanging covers of plain cloth or pulldown shutters tied with strings
to the ceiling, most of them decorated with flower motifs. Every day
at dawn, the shop runners would gather before the gate and enter the
bazaar together, say a prayer together in front of their closets and
then start the day.
This bazaar was a whole world itself with its bedestens (block of shops with
the same kind of trade), commercial complexes, workshops, and streets between
the structures where jewels, valuable goods, delicate fabrics, carpets, silverware,
glassware and books were sold and different cultures stood together. The
two stone bedestens that Fatih Sultan Mehmet got built for a supply of income
for the Hagia Sophia was surrounded in time by open-air bazaars. Then the
entire structure was enclosed to become a whole big trade center with its
inner streets and working complexes.. And there formed an enclosed marketplace
with all the colours and wealth of the Ottoman whole with its Turkish, Greek,'
Armenian and jewish people. The streets and avenues were named after the
types of tradespeople that worked in them, like the miniaturists, carvers,
varak (gold or silver leaj) omamentors, swordmakers, broadcloth sellers,
nacre processors, mirror makers, carpet sellers, antiquarians, and traders
of secondhand artifacts.
Among the whole lot, next to those who were keeping alive the jobs or
craftmanships that were the legacy of their fathers or grandfathers,
there were also those that arrived at a very young age, passed their
youths and now were at the realization of the wisdom of their present
age.
The bazaar was shaken by fire incidents and earthquakes from time to time, but each time it was repaired back into life. The Westernization that started in the Ottoman structure in 1839 was soan niflected in the Grand Bazaar, too. The modernization gained speed after the great eartquake that shook Istanbul in 1894. Western breezes blew everywhere, manifesting themselves in the merchandise and the setting up of the shops.
The Grand Bazaar includes more than 4000 stores taday, and it is surrounded on all sides by tens of hans (commereial buildings). The hans that used to host caravans now host workshops where many goods are manufactured. In the Valde Han that was built in 1650 and has a set of stairs with 200 steps, there is no longer any sale. Carpet washing and repairs are carried out in the Mercan Ali Pasa Han and the Cebeci Han.
Coloured
Anatolian weavings can be found in the Mercan Cukur Han, and beds,
blankets and linen in the Safran Han. Another of the most beautiful
hans in the bazaar is the Zincirli Han. Jewellery processors are the
majority here, and it has pink-painted walls that soften even the greyest
air in winter. In Cebeci Han, on the other hand, you can find port-hale
lids, bells, fans, watches, to torches, propellers, anchors in the
shop where second-hand sea materials are said, get your carpets repaired
in carpet repairing workshops and find replicas of old artifacts at
the coppersmith 's shop in the corner. One of the two bedestens that
form the core of the bazaar is the Ic Bedesten (inner bedesten), a.k.a.
the Cevahir Bedesteni.
The other is the Sandal Bedesteni, taking its name from a kind of fabric woven using silk and cotton threads alternately for each line. This is where you get attracted by the gleam of antiquities. You can find antique specialists for ancient objects, porcelains, silver, ceramics and ornamented engravings, and tour the stores filled up with ancient, valuable and beautiful artifacts. You can touch coffee cups of finest porcelain, silver cigarette boxes from the 18th century, spoons, glasses, candlesticks with stems of coloured glass, and see the jewels of the Ottoman era.
Carpets,
kilims, sumachs, 'cicim's... Next to the traditional carpets coming
from Usak, Gordes, Sivas, Ladik, Kayseri, Konya, and Hereke, the tulles
flowing in from the east of Konya plain are also worthy of attention.There
are also the Filikli spreads, the production of which has stopped since
many years ago. The fabrics known as Angora or mohair used to be woven
in 60 cm wide and 200 cm long pieces, then brought together in threes
tir fours to form wall covers, bed spreads or sitting groups. These,
too, are among the artifacts that come out of the trunks of the Grand
Bazaar.
The Grand Bazaar is a whole culture in itself, a whole wride ocean that has preserved its existence for many centuries. Let's enter into the gleaming world of the Grand Bazaar through one of its 18 gates, find its hidden prizes and mix into its cultural atmoshphere.
The Covered Bazaar is not for the faint of heart. Here the shopper is constantly barraged with a pushy but friendly sales pitch that usually begins with: "Excuse me please", "This way, please" or the ever popular "Where are you from?" and "Are you American?" as you stroll past the shops. They will keep repeating such phrases in an effort to grab the attention of the passers-by and doggedly try to start conversations in pursuit of making a sale.
Be prepared for this, but try not to be offended by the constant badgering.
These people's livelihoods depend on their ability to grab your attention
in the fierce competition of the Covered Bazaar. They use this sensory
overload to try to tempt you into their shops and hopefully convince you
to buy something.
In fact, it is the friendly but persistent merchants hovering over their wares that make the experience of the Covered Bazaar as unique as it is. The salesmen largely ignore the locals and focus their sales pitch on each and every foreigner they spot. Their ability not only to spot foreigners, but also to guess their nationality is astonishing, as is their incredible skill in being able to communicate in multiple languages. They are a huge part of the palpable sense of vitality that bristles around you from the moment you enter the Bazaar.
All shopkeepers speak some English and are willing to help you find the area with the type of goods that you are interested in. They know the layout of the Bazaar very well and will help you find some order within the chaos. They will of course invite you into their shop as well, and may even offer you tea. Just remember that you are not obliged to buy anything unless you want to. Even if you don't plan to part with a lira, revel in the strange world of the Covered Bazaar.
Tradesmen of the Covered Bazaar are also amongst the best marketers in
the world. Once you step into a jewelry or a carpet store, it is almost
impossible not to find something that you feel you simply must have. Expect
a hard sell especially when shopping for carpets. Within seconds your salesman
will have spread perhaps fifteen carpets on the floor in front of you.
They surround you with colorful rugs making it feel virtually impossible
to consider leaving. Needless to say, bargaining over price is standard
operating procedure and that about half the original starting price on
most items seems to be the place to settle. The price you are going to
pay for an item depends on the mood of the shopkeeper and your haggling
ability. Even if you don't plan to buy a carpet, it is lots of fun to go
into a shop and have the carpet shop experience.
Lots of people don't like bargaining and that is understandable. Just try to remember that you are in a different place with different rules and try to have fun with it. Don't worry about what the "right" price should be. When you find something you want, don't think in terms of "what is the price", think in terms of what you are willing to pay for it. Bargaining is part of the Turkish culture, and although the exchange may be done in a friendly way, it is never personal, so don't be embarrassed to give it a try!
Please note that: Explicit authorization is needed for the purchase and/or removal of Turkish antiquities and other cultural artifacts. A receipt and the official "museum export certificate" are needed to legally export such an item.
One of the main entrances to the Covered Bazaar leads you into the main thoroughfare of gold and jewelry shops that glitter and twinkle out into the corridor. Salespeople will invite you in for a look, knowing quite well that you will be tempted to do more than look. Speaking some Turkish does miracles here, if you don't; try to get a local friend to go along with you if you are in the mood for serious shopping. Otherwise have a glance or two and move along, there is a ton to see around every corner of this enormous bazaar and enough to keep you busy for hours.
Although the Covered Bazaar is one of the most heavily frequented tourist
attractions in Istanbul, it is also still an important center of commerce
for Turks as well. Families come to buy bridal fabrics and clothing as
well as engagement and wedding rings. The bride comes with her mother and
other relatives, who assist her with the selection. Often the groom accompanies
them, which helps make them feel more comfortable as women may find themselves
being hit on quite frequently as they browse through the Bazaar. There
is an ongoing tradition in Turkey of presenting the bride with gold coins
or jewelry, as much as the relatives of both sides and the wedding guests
can afford. This is one of the reasons for the abundance of jewelry shops
in the market. Workshops in and around the Covered Bazaar meet most of
the demands for such gifts for the whole of Turkey. This should be some
indication of the overwhelming amount of gold that changes hands at the
Covered Bazaar.
Although this favorite tourist attraction can sometimes feel like a tourist trap, it is a destination that is not to be missed. In Turkey business, art and the folklore are inextricably bound together, and the Covered Bazaar is the best place to see this side of the culture in action