The Spice Market

The Spice Market

The market especially used by Venetian and Genovese traders, later was incorporated into the complex of the nearby Yeni Cami (New Mosque). In 1591, work to build a new marketplace was commenced but due to delays the new bazaar was only completed and started operating in 1663. Out of the almost 100 shops in the bazaar, half were allocated to spice merchants and the other half to cotton traders and quilt makers. In the beginning the market was known as the Yeni Carsi (New Bazaar) or the Valide Carsisi (the Sultan's Mother's Bazaar) but in the 18th century it took its present name and function. In those days, goods brought from countries in the Far East such China and India and from Arabia were collected in Egypt and shipped to Istanbul to be unloaded in front of the Egyptian Bazaar.

Thus it became known to the public as the "Misir Carsisi", which means Egyptian Bazaar. These days, right behind the bazaar on the hill that is the site of the Mercan district many shops sell goods from China.

Built in an "L" shape, the Spice Bazaar has rows of shops and two larger and four smailer gates that open at daybreak. Each of the Gates has a name. The Eminonu Gate is knows as "The Main Gate" while the largest entrance, the Balikpazari (Fish Market) Gate, is also known as the Tahmis (Coffee Shops) Gate. The names of the smail four gates are: the Ketenciler (Cotton Market) Gate, the Cicekpazari (Florist Market) Gate, the Yenicami Gate and the Bahce (Garden) or Haseki Gate.

The Herbalists

The bazaar's first merchants were herbalists who passed on their knowledge to their apprentices. On the one hand the merchants offered a rich variety of herbs, seeds, dried flowers, roots and stems while on the other they sold prescriptions. "remedies for all kinds of problems", the formula of which were known by the merchants. Many herbs, such as dried rosemary, sage, oregano, violet, melissa, wild basil, mastic and moming glory awaited buyers.

The merchants not only sold " spices but also offered distilled essences, fragrances and
scents. Today, where once there had been many herbalists, there are mainly shops selling spices and dried fruits.