Spice Bazaar

The Egyptian Bazaar, in Istanbul

The Egyptian Bazaar, the famous spice market of Istanbul, is a feast for the senses, between sweets, nuts and spices from all over the world. The Istanbul audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this covered market of eighty-eight shops crowned with domes, built in 1663 to help fund the neighbouring new mosque, on the initiative of the powerful sultana Hatice Turhan.

History

Here you are at the entrance of the Egyptian Bazaar, the famous spice market of Istanbul. An essential of a trip to Turkey, it invites you to discover spices, nuts and sweets in a profusion of colours and perfumes. The carefully stocked stalls present an incredible choice of sweets and spices of all kinds, distributed in eighty-eight shops, each protected by a dome, for a fine overall harmony. Its origin goes back to 1663, the year of construction of the very close new mosque: it was then decided to install a great covered spice market whose rent of the stalls would help fund the mosque. This idea is owed to the sultana Hatice Turhan, one of the most powerful women of the Ottoman Empire, and the only one to have led it legally. Her life had however begun badly: captured as a child during a raid in the Slavic countries, sold as a slave then offered to the imperial harem of Topkapi, she gave there a son to the sultan before climbing, by her will, the rungs of power.

What to see

Here you plunge into the famous spice market of Istanbul, eighty-eight shops crowned with domes overflowing with spices, nuts and sweets in a festival of colours and perfumes; built in 1663 on the initiative of the sultana Hatice Turhan to fund the neighbouring new mosque, it is a feast for the senses. The Egyptian Bazaar is an essential of Istanbul. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Egyptian Bazaar lies in the Eminönü district, near the new mosque and the Galata bridge, in Istanbul, reachable on foot. It is a covered market whose hours vary; bargaining is customary there. It is best to enquire before coming and to remain attentive to your belongings in the crowd.

Why was the Egyptian Bazaar of Istanbul built?

It was built in 1663 on the initiative of the sultana Hatice Turhan, who wanted the rent of its stalls to help fund the neighbouring new mosque; this spice market of eighty-eight shops crowned with domes remains one of the gourmet high places of Istanbul, where spices, nuts and sweets from all over the world are discovered.

Where is the Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul?

In the Eminönü district, near the new mosque, in Istanbul, in Turkey.