Publication Date
The two commercial markets were built during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II ‘the Conqueror’ (during his second reign between 855-886 / 1451-1481), and the bazaar expanded around them.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;tr;Mon01;28;ar
Library Location
Istanbul, Türkiye
Date
The two commercial markets were built during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II ‘the Conqueror’ (during his second reign between 855-886 / 1451-1481), and the bazaar expanded around them.
Notes
The Grand Bazaar, known locally as the 'Covered Bazaar', was the commercial heart of Istanbul during the Ottoman era. The bazaar is centered around two domed and preserved commercial markets in which precious goods such as silk and jewels are sold and stored. They are the Inner Market and the Silk Market, which were built as two endowments by Mehmed II immediately after the conquest of Istanbul. Over time, the number of inns and shops around them increased, and the bazaar was transformed, as a result of fires and earthquakes, into its present form: more like a maze of streets and alleys surrounded by shops. In the beginning, the internal market, also known as the Old Market, was built. It is a rectangular building (45.30 x 29.50 m from the inside) with a gate in the middle on each side. Its interior section is dominated by two rows of four huge pillars connected by wide arches on which 15 domes rest, and the height of the central dome is 14.89 m. Amas Silk Market, also known as the Small or New Market, took its name from the sale of silk and cotton fabrics in it. The internal area of this market is smaller than the indoor market, as its dimensions are 40 x 32 m, and it was designed in the same general style as the indoor market. It contains three rows of four pillars connected to each other by wide arches on which 20 domes rest. The two buildings are surrounded from the outside by adjacent shops, but they clearly stand out from the rest of the bazaar. The bazaar includes more than 60 streets and about 400 shops, including 14 inns, two markets, several mosques, and drinking places. The streets have maintained their old names, which reflects an ancient custom that brings together artisans and/or shops that produce or sell the same goods. The bazaar has been severely damaged by numerous fires since the 16th century, as well as by the earthquakes of 1766 and 1894. It has undergone restoration work in several periods, the last of which was in 1959. Today, the Grand Bazaar is mainly considered a tourist attraction. There are three markets in Istanbul: two of them are described above, and the third, also built by Mehmed the Conqueror, is located in the Galatia neighbourhood. This is different from what existed in other cities of the Ottoman Empire, which usually contained only one or two markets, which indicates the importance of the capital as a commercial center.
Sample Text
“The Grand Bazaar” within Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;tr;Mon01;28;ar
