Kapalıçarşı

Begun by Mehmed the Conqueror in 1461, the Grand Bazaar is one of the world's oldest covered markets, with more than sixty streets and four thousand shops arranged beneath painted vaults. The inner bedestens still house the oldest trades — gold, silver, antiques — while the outer lanes run through carpets, leather, and ceramics. The surrounding han courtyards hide tea shops, jewellers, and calligraphy studios that have operated in the same spots for generations.