The heart of trade has been beating at the Grand Bazaar for 558 years. As the world’s first and largest shopping mall, it hosts 3,5 million shopping tourists.
Ranking first at the list of the highest number of shopping venues, Istanbul crowns her leadership with the 5,5 century-old Grand Bazaar. World’s first and largest shopping mall, it has been the heart of the trade at the city for 558 years. The bazaar hosts monthly 3,5 million visitors and the gold exported from Turkey is also fashioned here.
THE FIRST BANK OF THE WORLD
In addition to its contribution to economy, Grand Bazaar stands out with its contributions to the culture of trade. Trade based on trust came into prominence in the bazaar and also rendered it the very first bank of the world. In those days where the banks did not yet exist, many kilograms of gold were entrusted to the Grand Bazaar tradesmen. These tradesmen kept the gold for their owners at their stores. With its aforementioned characteristic, Grand Bazaar paved the way for the origins of the expression ‘Grand Bazaar tradesmen’ in Istanbul’s literature of trade. Grand Bazaar used to be the center of shopping during the Ottoman Empire, as in the present. However, competition was forbidden in those years and each store owner conducted his activities inside the store without putting the stalls outside. The prices used to be assigned to the products by the state. When detected, tradesmen in charge of overpricing would be warned.
DESIGN CENTER
The Grand Bazaar used to be the center of design of the era and this was one of its most prominent characteristics. The artisans who were members of ‘Ehl-i hıref’ that was regarded as the first design policies organization of the Ottoman Empire, used to display their newest designs at the Topkapı Palace. Jewelers particulary stood out within the Ehl-i hıref composed of the senior masters of each trade. The bootmakers, calligraphers and boilersmiths from the masters presenting different products to the Sultan used to gain 3 thousand silver coins while the carpenters and boilersmiths used to gain 500 silver coins, gaining the lowest salary within the organization.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
While the peers of Grand Bazaar are being used as museums today, it still stands out with its characteristicc of mingling different religious and ethnical groups. According to the registries of Grand Bazaar of year 1520; 83 percent of the tradesmen of the bazaar were Turkish, 14 percent were composed of non-Muslims, and the remaining 3 percent consisted of the foreigners. The Bazaar still maintains this characteristic.
3,5 MILLION VISITORS
The same today as it was yesterday, Grand Bazaar is the most crucial stop of the tourists interested in shopping. The old bazaar hosting 3,5 million shopping tourists a month, is also a significant spot where 60 percent of the foreign tourists stop by today. 30 thousand people are employed at the 5,5 century old bazaar that can accommodate a population of a city on its own. The bazaar covers 2 thousand 486 stores, 62 streets and 2 bazaars. Tradesmen of 65 different lines of work; from carpet sellers to leather vendors, from silversmiths to jewelers, and ceramists to cloth merchants work at the historical bazaar.
SEPERATE STREETS FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS OF SELLERS
The Grand Bazaar originates back to the İç Bedesten – an indoorarcade with shops – which was ordered to be built by Mehmet the Conqueror to endow the foundations after the conquer of Istanbul. There used to be seperate streets for every group of sellerat the 5,5 century old bazaar that survived to date with additions after its construction in 1461. The streets named ass Quiltmakers, Woolen Drapers, Spoonmakers and Skukkcap Makers still remainsymbolically at the Bazaar.
“THE CONSTITUTION OF TRADE IS COMPOSED HERE”
The book ‘Geçmişten Geleceğe Kapalıçarşı’ (Grand Bazaar from Past to Future) on the 558 year-old story of the Grand Bazaar is published by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. Şekib Avdagiç, President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce qualified Grand Bazaar as a work symbolizing a refined architecture, aesthetic, elegancy and all dimensions of fine arts beyond being merely a baazar and a center of business. Avdagiç said; “Grand Bazaar is a sacred space where the universal rules of business that are still applicable had been composed at. In other words, it is a place where the constitution of trade was established. It is a compass pointing the correct route through the present storms that chanllenge the global trade.”
Source: Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İstanbul Ticaret Odası)
