Historic Bazaars and Caravanserais

The Nuruosmaniye Mosque sits at the entrance to the Grand Bazaar, distinguished by its unusual horseshoe-shaped courtyard and a dome that rises twenty-five meters in diameter. Construction of the building began in seventeen forty-nine…

The Grand Bazaar is a vast, labyrinthine network of more than sixty covered streets defined by its vaulted ceilings and thick stone walls. Established in fourteen sixty-one by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, it began as a secure vault for…

Zincirli Han is a two-story merchant inn tucked inside the Grand Bazaar, recognizable by its terracotta-colored walls, green shutters, and a large, ancient plane tree rooted in the center of its open-air courtyard. Built in seventeen…

The Büyük Valide Han is recognizable by its massive, weathered stone walls and a series of expansive courtyards that once formed the heart of Istanbul’s seventeenth-century merchant trade. Founded in sixteen fifty-one by Kösem Valide…

Büyük Yeni Han is identified by its long, three-story facade of alternating light and dark stone, situated on the steep slope of Çakmakçılar Yokuşu. Completed in seventeen sixty-four by order of Sultan Mustafa the Third, this merchant inn…

Balkapanı Han is a two-story stone and brick structure in Eminönü that served as a primary collection and distribution center for honey during the Ottoman Empire. Its name derives from the Ottoman administrative term kapan, referring to…

The Egyptian Bazaar is an L-shaped covered market, easily identified by its series of stone domes and six arched gateways. Completed in sixteen sixty-four as part of the nearby New Mosque complex, it was intended to generate rental income…

The Rüstem Pasha Mosque sits perched above the street level, elevated on a stone platform lined with shops and warehouses. You can recognize this structure by that raised position, which forces you to climb a set of stairs to reach the…