The Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı) is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. It was built of wood after the Conquest of Istanbul around an old Byzantine building which became the part of the Old Bedesten (Old Bazaar) today, and got bigger and larger throughout the centuries with the addition of new sections and inns. Today the bazaar covers an area of approximately 31thousand square meters, with its over 3000 shops, 17 inns, 61 streets, over 20thousand employees, 4 fountains, 10 wells, 2 mosques, several cafes and restaurants, change offices, a police station, and 22 gates. It resembles a giant labyrinth and can be a little complicated for the first-time visitor, but after a couple of visits there you can familiarize with it because streets are arranged almost on a grid plan, and shops tend to group themselves according to the type of goods they sell.
The main street goes all the way up till the other exit and it's all full of jewelry stores.
(Location: Istanbul)

Uploaded by slavica on 5/9/2007, viewed 6516 times.