I visited the Grand Bazaar yesterday during lunch and again before dinner. Through history, this site has been about trade. Starting with a town called Byzantium that was a shipping point for trade in the Roman Empire, it grew to be a crossroads of trade for Constantinople. As Istanbul, it became a center for trade that connected the Muslim world to Europe. Mosques were built with surrounding markets to serve the Muslim communities, so today we still see markets (bazaars) near the mosques throughout Istanbul. Here are some pictures from the largest bazaar...very easy to get lost in the wandering paths through the booths. Today vendors will say anything to a passing tourist to get you to take a look at their shop. Because there is such diversity among the tourists, they often try several languages as one passes by.
Our friend Samer working in the Spice Bazaar
No comments:
Post a Comment