Grand Bazaar

CULTURAL HERITAGE IN ISTANBUL

CONTENT

1. LOCATION OF GRAND BAZAAR

2. ABOUT GRAND BAZAAR
3. TIMELINE OF GRAND BAZAAR
4. THE 1894 EARTHQUACK
5. THE 1954 FIRE
6. PLAN OF GRAND BAZAAR
7. BEDESTENS OF GRAND BAZAAR
8. BEDESTEN CEVAHIR (INNER BEDESTEN/OLD BEDESTEN)
9. BEDESTEN SANDAL(BEDESTAN-I CEDID, NEW BEDESTEN, SMALL
BEDESTEN)
10.DOORS OF GRAND BAZAAR
11.INNS OF GRAND BAZAAR
12.RESTORATION IN 2016
13.REFERENCES
LOCATION OF GRAND BAZAAR

The Grand Bazaar is the

world's largest bazaar and
one of the oldest covered
bazaars, located in the
center of Istanbul city, in
the middle of Beyazit,
Nuruosmaniye and
Mercan districts. The first
name of the Grand Bazaar
is Çârsû-yi Kebîr.
ABOUT GRAND BAZAAR
After conquering Istanbul, Fatih Sultan Mehmet; He ordered mosques, baths and bazaars to be built. At the
time, the Covered Bazaar, which was established to sell fabric for the purpose of generating income for Hagia
Sophia, and then was allocated for the purchase and sale of all kinds of valuable items, was called Bedesten at
that time. The old wealthy, travelers, and merchants of the period used to store precious gold, silver and
precious jewels in safes for a small fee. It was a kind of first bank feature. it lost this feature with the opening
of banks.
ABOUT GRAND BAZAAR
• It was formed by the concentration of inns around the two bedestens and the tops of the streets between
them covered with vaults over time. Protecting and securing certain entrances with doors also led to the
formation of a large covered market as a single mass.

BEDESTEN SANDAL

BEDESTEN CEVAHIR
(INNER BEDESTEN/OLD BEDESTEN)
ABOUT GRAND BAZAAR
EVERY FRIDAY, THEY WOULD GATHER AT THE FOUNTAIN AROUND
THE CEVAHIR BEDESTEN AND PRAY HERE. THE ARTISANS HERE
WERE CONSIDERED TO BE THE RICHEST ARTISANS IN THE CITY.
JEWELRY, GOLD, WEAPONS, FABRIC, SHAWLS, CARPETS AND
VALUABLE OBJECTS WERE SOLD.

• The streets of the Grand Bazaar are like a chess pattern and have no
order. It has an architecture showing free settlement according to time
and need.
ABOUT GRAND BAZAAR
• In the Grand Bazaar, the
walls are plastered over
brick, stone or alternate
lattice. The arches and
vaults are made of brick
and the columns are made
of cut stone.The roof cover
of the Grand Bazaar is a
tile. The descents of the
hidden creeks on the roof
were made inside the
bazaar. For this reason,
water flows into the bazaar.
ABOUT GRAND BAZAAR
• In the Grand Bazaar, natural
light is provided throughout
the day with windows that
open on the side of the vault
covering the streets. At the
intersection of some streets,
the ceiling was raised and
windows were built around it.
The bazaar ventilation is done
naturally with both openable
windows and all-day street
doors.
 TIMELINE OF GRAND BAZAAR
There are differences of opinion about when the Old IN THE PERIOD OF
Bedesten was built.(Cevahir/Inner) SULEIMAN THE
The first information is that this building is a building MAGNIFICENT, THE BAZAAR
from the Byzantine period, and the reason for this is; It is BECAME QUITE BIGGER.
an eagle embossed piece used as an ornament on one of its AFTER THE EXPANSION
WORKS MAINLY USING
four doors.
WOODEN MATERIALS, THE
The second information is; After Fatih Sultan Mehmet MARKET HAS GROWN
conquered Istanbul, the building started in the winter of CONSIDERABLY COMPARED
1455-1456 and was finished in the winter of 1460-1461. TO WHAT IT IS TODAY.
The third information is; is that the building was built in
1478-1479 after the conquest.

30 SEPTEMBER 1520- 7
SEPTEMBER 1566

The second is the Sandal Bedesten. According to some sources, it is said that its construction was
completed at the end of 1470. However, according to some sources, it is thought that valuable
fabrics were made as a sales place during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent.
 TIMELINE OF GRAND BAZAAR 1894 EARTHQUAKE
FIRE OF 1546: THE BAZAAR, WHICH IS FULL WITH
WODDEN HOUSES, WAS DAMAGED.
THE FIRE OF 1589: EVEN THOUGH THE FLAMES DID
NOT LEAP INTO THE BAZAAR, THEIR ENTIRE
SURROUNDINGS WERE DEVASTATED.
FIRE OF 1618 AND 1652: THE BAZAAR DID NOT SUFFER
GREAT DESTRUCTION, BUT IT WAS WIDELY. IT WAS
AFFECTED.
FIRE OF 1660: IT LED TO CHANGES IN THE BEDESTENS;
THE TOP OF THE BEDESTEN COVERED WITH WOODEN
ROOF AND TILE WAS COVERED WITH MASONRY
VAULTS.
FIRE IN 1695 AND 170I CEVAHIR BEDESTEN: GRAND
1954 fIre
VIZIER DAMAT IBRAHIM PASHA PROVIDED THE
REPAIR OF SANDAL BEDESTEN.
1954 fIre

FIRE IN 1750 MERCAN SLOPE: THE FIRE JUMPED INTO THE BAZAAR AND DAUBED GREAT
DAMAGE.FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, THE JANISSARIES RANSACKED THE BAZAAR. IT WAS
THE FIRST TIME THAT THE BAZAAR WAS A SYMBOL OF SECURITY.
1766 EARTHOUAKE: IT REQUIRED REPAIR IN THE BAZAAR
1791 FIRE: IT APPEARED ON UZUN ÇARSI CADDESI, THE OUTER SECTIONS OF THE INN BURNED.
1826 FIRE: EXITS IN HOCAPASA. THE FIRE DESTROYED THE BAZAAR.
1894 EARTHQUAKE: THE BIG EARTHOUAKE THAT AFFECTED ISTANBUL CAUSED THE COLLAPSE
OF MANY DOMES AND VAULTS. AFTER THIS EARTHQUAKE, WHICH COINCIDED WITH THE
ABDULHAMID PERIOD, THE BORDERS OF THE BAZAAR WERE NARROWED. A DOOR WAS BUILT
AT THE TWO ENDS OF KALPAKCILAR, THE MAIN STREET CONNECTING BEYAZIT AND
NURUOSMANIYE.
1954 FIRE: ALMOST COMPLETELY ASHED THE BAZAAR. REPAIRS TOOK FIVE YEARS. IN THE 1980s,
THE BAZAAR WAS REPAIRED.
The 1894 earthquack
• The 1894 earthquacke caused a great damage in the historical buildings of the istanbul. One of the most
important buildings demolished was the Grand Bazaar. The distinguished architects of the period have
prepared several projects for the restoration, but because of the methodological discussions the work started
as late as in 1896 and completed in three years. meanwhile many streets were left uncovered and the Bazaar
area has been reduced.
The 1954 fire
• The fire that occurred on November 26, 1954 was considered the biggest of the
fires. The big fire, in which 489 firefighters participated, could only be
extinguished in 28 days. In the fire that lasted 28 days, firefighters were able to
enter the bazaar after 4 days. The scene that emerged when the fire was
extinguished; 1364 shops in the bazaar and 30 shops outside the bazaar became
unusable. Renovation work started after the fire.
PLAN OF GRAND BAZAAR

The Grand Bazaar is located on

37.000 m² square meters. There are 61
streets and 4,000 shops in this area. It
has a view that resembles a city. This
site, which is covered with a whole,
has developed and grown over time.
Until recently, there were 5 mosques, 1
school, 7 fountains, 10 wells, 24 doors
and 16 inns. The Grand Bazaar
provides the city connection with the
roads on the east-west and north-
south axes and 16 gates opening to
these roads.
PLAN OF GRAND BAZAAR
The Grand Bazaar is generally divided into
four important regions.
Inner Bedesten, or Cevahir bedesten, which
forms the center of the bazaar, is called the
first region. This region is the most
organized part of the bazaar.
The region extending to the north is the
second region formed by shops and inns
along Yaglikcilar Avenue.
The third region is the most complex
part of the bazaar located to the west of
Yaglikcilar and Sipahi streets. The
fourth region to the south of
Kalpakçilar Street is a region that was built
later, with unconnected structures and
poorly connected buildings.
BEDESTENS OF GRAND BAZAAR
BEDESTEN CEVAHIR (INNER BEDESTEN/OLD BEDESTEN)

BEDESTEN SANDAL

3D MODEL OF GRAND BAZAAR

BEDESTEN CEVAHIR (INNER BEDESTEN/OLD BEDESTEN)

Bedesten, which was built in the commercial area of

istanbul after the conquest, is thought to be started
in the winter of 1455-56 and finished in the winter
of 1460-61. Although the sources and documents
clearly state this, there is a claim far from scientific
seriousness that Bedesten is a Byzantine structure.
An eagle embossed piece mentioned above, which
was used as an element of decoration on one of its
four doors, led to the birth of the legend that the
building was Byzantine. However, with the plan,
the construction technique and the building system,
it clearly shows that this work called Cevâhir
Bedesten is entirely Turkish.

The walls are in an alternate mesh system, one row of bricks and
one row of smooth rubble stones.
While the building is 36 x 48 m in dimensions; Its interior space is
1336 m², with dimensions of 29.5 x 45.3 m.
BEDESTEN CEVAHIR (INNER BEDESTEN/IC BEDESTEN)

It divides the interior of the eight column into SAHAFLAR GATE

fifteen equal parts. Each of these parts are
covered with a dome. Bedesten, which has been
in the late period until recently, preserving its
stores in accordance with its structure and old
tradition, has lost the majesty of its interior with

KUYUMCULAR GATE
ZENNECILER GATE
the construction of modern shops that spoiled
the original architecture of the building after
1959. Since it is completely surrounded by the
Grand Bazaar, it is no longer possible to see its
exterior architecture. It can be determined that
only the peripheral walls were built with neatly
worked stones. In the inner and in the outer
walls have been built 44 cellars, vaulted rooms
without external openings
TAKKECILER GATE
The doors are named according to the street where they are opened.
BEDESTEN CEVAHIR (INNER BEDESTEN/IC BEDESTEN)
The magnificent and wide brick arches and the brick domes
carried by them give this large building an imposing
appearance.
There are no
windows in the
lower parts of
the walls and
domes. There
are 1.50 x 1.75
m windows on
the upper parts
of the walls, one
on each axle.
These are
higher than the
roofs of the
surrounding
streets.

Dome Column and arches

BEDESTEN SANDAL

The second is the Sandal Bedesten. According to some sources,

it is said that its construction was completed at the end of 1470.
However, according to some sources, it is thought that valuable
fabrics were made as a sales place during the reign of Suleiman
the Magnificent.
It was made as a sales place for valuable fabrics. Sandal is a
striped fabric imported from India from the south of Asia. 1890
Bedesten also got its name from this. Sandal Bedesten (also
known as Bedestan-i Cedid, New Bedesten, Small Bedesten),
which is the second core building of the bazaar, is similar to
Old Bedesten.
BEDESTEN SANDAL
• While Sandal Bedesten was handed over to the European
industry with the Ottoman Empire customs discounts in the
middle of the 19th century, it became poorer in parallel with the
collapse of domestic weaving, collapsed with the abolition of the
shopkeepers since 1912 and became a place of auction in 1914
by the municipality. Restoration started in 2015 and lasted an
average of 7 months. It was put into service.
BEDESTEN SANDAL
MAHMUTPASA GATE

The name 'small' comes from the fact that its area is 40x32 m in
dimensions. The structure is covered with 20 domes carried by 12 columns
of 2.25x2.63 dimensions and 4 walls of 1.30 m thickness. The number of

NUR-I OSMANIYE GATE

domes is the highest in this type of Ottoman bazaars. The domes are
identical and are 12.70 m high. The construction technique and material is
almost the same as the Old Bedesten. In other words, the columns are
made of cut stone, the walls are rubble, the arch and the domes are brick.
In this, the windows are only on a high level from the walls and the
environment.

KALPAKCILAR GATE
DOORS OF GRAND BAZAAR
1. CEBECI HAN GATE

2. LUTFULLAH GATE

3. YORGANCILAR GATE

4. BODRUM HAN GATE

5. FESCILER GATE

6. HACI HUSNU GATE

7. BEYAZIT GATE

8. ÇARSIKAPI GATE

9. SORGUCLU HAN GATE

10. MERDIVENLI GATE

11. KURKCULER GATE

12. NURUOSMANIYE GATE

13. SANDAL BEDESTEN GATE

14. KILIÇLAR GATE

15. MAHMUTPASA GATE

16. MERCAN GATE

17. TACIRLER GATE

18. ORUCULER GATE

19. SEPETÇİHAN GATE

20. TAKKECİLER GATE

21. TAVUKPAZARI GATE

22. ZENNECİLER GATE

23. KUYUMCULAR GATE

24. ÇUHACIHAN GATE

DOORS OF GRAND BAZAAR Beyazit gate

Nur-u Osmaniye GATE

GATE OF SANDAL BEDESTEN

DOORS OF GRAND BAZAAR
There is an Ottoman coat of arms on the Nur-u Osmaniye and
BeyazIt entrance doors of the Grand Bazaar. There are 37 symbols
on the Ottoman coat of arms.
The wand is the magic cane of Moses.
One of the two books in the scale is Fatih's law, and the second is
Kanun-i Esasi.
The Horn of Abundance is a curled carob filled with fruits and
spikes used in the Roman period, starting from the pagan period.
Double-sided Teber, or double-sided ax, is an ancient tradition. It
is also a symbol of superiority in the Ottoman Empire.
Stuffed ball from the mouth was used in the conquest of Istanbul.
Sword is one of the five sacred elements in Turkish mythology.
The five-pointed star in the starred flag was used in 1844.
The green flag is the caliphate flag.
Anchor is the tradition of the Ottoman navy after the 16th century.
INNS OF GRAND BAZAAR
1. BUYUK CEBECI INN
It has a single floor
2. IC CEBECI INN excluding the Grand
3. KUCUK CEBECI INN Bazaar, Inn structures
and Kürkçüler
4. DIS CEBECI INN
Bazaar. The inns are
5. ASTARCI INN two, three-storey
6. K.SAFRAN INN buildings with
porticoes facing the
7. SAFRAN INN courtyard open to the
8. CUKUR INN outside.
9. ZINCIRLI INN
10. VARAKCI INN Zincirli Han
11. RABIA INN
12. BALTACI INN Zincirli Han is part of the Nasuh Pasha complex. The inn is built in a
transverse rectangular shape and consists of a two-storey section around a
13. SORGUCLU INN courtyard and an open square section through the southeast of the
14. BODRUM INN courtyard. According to the inscription, it was built in the late 18th century.
Han, which used to be a lot of jewelers, was known for its solid doors.
15. YARIMTAS INN
Today, the jewelers still practice their professions in the upstairs rooms.
16. AGA INN
restoration in 2016
• It started in July 2016.There
were water tanks, satellite
antennas and air conditioning
units on the roof of the 558-
year-old Grand Bazaar. The
waters flowing in the rain
were entering through the
roofs. In 2012, the tiles were
broken with 3 motorcycles on
BEFORE the roof of the James Bond AFTER
movie "Skyfall" series. After
a total of 630 business days,
the water tanks, satellite
antennas, air conditioning
units on the roof of the
historical bazaar were
removed one by one, and the
tiles were renewed.
REFERENCES

• M Sözen - 2001 - earsiv.sehir.edu.tr

• ISTANBUL ANSIKLOPEDISI RESAT EKREM
• https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapal%C4%B1%C3%A7ar%C5%9F%C4%B1
• https://www.sabah.com.tr/sozluk/mimari/buyuk-carsi-hakkinda-istanbulun-kapali-carsisi
• http://earsiv.sehir.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11498/755/001580068010.pdf?sequence=3
• https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/bedesten
• https://www.trthaber.com/haber/kultur-sanat/tarihi-kapali-carsinin-catisi-ve-altyapisi-tamamlandi-416643.html
• https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/38302267.pdf
• http://www.imo.org.tr/resimler/ekutuphane/pdf/11399.pdf
• https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/kapali-carsi
• https://www.turkcebilgi.com/kapal%C4%B1_%C3%A7ar%C5%9F%C4%B1
• https://www.academia.edu/38234408/Kapal%C4%B1_%C3%87ar%C5%9F%C4%B1n%C4%B1n_Tarihi_-_Ahmet_Tuten.pdf
• https://www.istanbul.net.tr/istanbul-rehberi/tarihi-eserler/kapali-carsi/103/6
• file:///D:/Downloads/5dad72e3b2c8b.pdf
• https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/bedesten
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKTVfChU5Ew
• http://earsiv.sehir.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11498/51939/001580082010.pdf?sequence=1
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKSaRA7e0i4