January 3, 2009

Memories from Istanbul's Spice Market
Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul's Spice Market (or Egyptian Bazaar) is one of the oldest bazaars in the city. The "L"-shaped building, located in the Eminönü district of town, consists of 88 vaulted rooms and is the second largest covered shopping complex in the city after the Grand Bazaar.

There are several documents suggesting the name of the bazaar was first "New Bazaar". However, due to the fact that many spices were imported via Egypt in the Ottoman period, the name "Mısır Çarşısı" was favored by the public. The word mısır has a double meaning in Turkish: "Egypt" and "maize". This is why sometimes the name is wrongly translated as "Corn Bazaar". The bazaar was (and still is) the center for spice trade in Istanbul.

(these images were taken in and immediately around the bazaar)

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