Exhibition presents history of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

The history of Istanbul’s famous Kapalıçarşı (Grand Bazaar) is now on display at the exhibition ‘Grand Bazaar in 10 Steps,’ which opened Monday at the İş Bankası Museum. The event, which runs until Feb. 27, displays original documents and gravures, golden calligraphy and illuminations on leaves, other golden and silver works, jewelry and textiles

The exhibition ‘Grand Bazaar in 10 Steps’ is being curated by Professor Önder Küçükerman and Professor Kenan Mortan. AA photo

A new exhibition featuring the 550-year history of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı), long recognized as one of the world’s longest continual shopping locations, opened Monday at the city’s İş Bankası Museum.

“I don’t think there any other shopping center in the world with 4,000 business places as in the Grand Bazaar. Some 4,000 different merchants operate in harmony like a union,” İş Bank General Manager Ersin Özince said during Monday’s opening ceremony.

The exhibition “10 Adımda Kapalıçarşı” (Grand Bazaar in 10 Steps) will make an intellectual and aesthetic contribution to the works regarding the Istanbul, İş Bank Executive Board Chairman Caner Çimenbiçer said.

The Grand Bazaar was a common market and finance complex where the foundations of modern banking were laid not only in Turkey but also in the West, said Çimenbiçer, adding that Istanbul was a world city home to various civilizations, cultures and colors.

Özince said the history of the Turkish Republic and its economy could be seen at the İş Bankası Museum while the pre-Republic period could be seen at the Grand Bazaar exhibition.

The Grand Bazaar, the world’s oldest finance center, was built by Mehmet the Conqueror and has continued to survive in all its magnificence for the past six centuries, the İş Bank general manager said, adding that the exhibition was a very short summary of the bazaar’s history and that further information could be found in various publications.

Istanbul a center of finance yesterday and today

“We hope that Istanbul will embrace trade and finance,” said Istanbul Gov. Hüseyin Avni Mutlu during the ceremony, adding that Turkey’s largest city had also become an international brand. “The Grand Bazaar was the center of finance in the city. I believe that it will maintain this mission in the future, too.”

Hasan Fırat, the chairman of the Grand Bazaar Merchants’ Association, said the covered market was still one of the most important finance centers in the world.

Following the speeches at the ceremony, Fırat presented a golden key of the Grand Bazaar to Çimenbiçer and Özince.

History of Grand Bazaar

The exhibition “Grand Bazaar in 10 Steps” is being curated by Professor Önder Küçükerman and Professor Kenan Mortan, the writers of the book “Çarşı, Pazar, Ticaret ve Kapalı Çarşı” (Shopping, Bazaar, Trade and Grand Bazaar), published by the Kültür Publications.

It displays original documents and gravures showing the history of the Grand Bazaar, golden calligraphy and illuminations on leaves which were produced in the bazaar and reveal the different use of works in gold, works in silver, jewelry and textiles.

Famous orientalist painter Amadeus Preziosi’s “Grand Bazaar” painting is also on display at the exhibition, as well as 360-degree photos taken in various parts of the bazaar, Grand Bazaar kitsch and other artifacts.

The exhibition will continue until Feb. 27.