Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV

Kemeraltı: İzmir's Grand Bazaar adapts to modern time

by Miraç Tapan

Oct 18, 2019 - 4:14 pm GMT+3
Built in the 17th century, Kemeraltu0131 Bazaar is still the heart of Izmir's trade scene. (iStock Photo)
Built in the 17th century, Kemeraltu0131 Bazaar is still the heart of Izmir's trade scene. (iStock Photo)
by Miraç Tapan Oct 18, 2019 4:14 pm

As an important port on the Aegean coast, İzmir has always been an influential trade center throughout history, so it is not surprising that the city is home to one of the most impressive covered bazaars in the world


Everyone knows about Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s largest and oldest covered bazaars in the world, but right on the Aegean coast, İzmir also has its own historic open-air bazaar where the heart of the city’s trade has been beating for centuries.
İzmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, has been an important Aegean port since ancient times when it was the Greek city of Smyrna. The city has a rich cultural heritage thanks to the Turkish, Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Levantine communities calling this beautiful city home for centuries. İzmir is undoubtedly the beating heart of western Turkey and its trade. Being in one of the most important port cities back in the Ottoman times, the city was a draw for merchants from all over the world.

The historic bazaar Kemeraltı (meaning “under the arch” in English) looks like a labyrinth with its narrow pathways and streets, stretching from Konak Square, in the city's center, through to the ancient Agora. Dating back to the 17th century, Kemeraltı is home to shops, eateries, artisan workshops, mosques, coffeehouses, tea gardens and synagogues.
Although the bazaar is one of the most vibrant places in this Aegean city, Kemeraltı was just a small Ottoman bazaar composed of vaults, from which it got its name. In time, first with the merchants coming from France and England and then from mainland Greece and Greek islands, the bazaar grew, becoming İzmir’s trade center.
The bazaar was first built by the Ottomans in the second half of the 17th century as a safe haven for merchants and travelers, a spot where they could spend the night and trade. With the increasing interest in it, it turned into a commercial center and food market featuring old inns and small bazaars. The bazaar had blacksmiths, charcoal burners, spice shops, herbal stores which served as pharmacy shops, straw markets, copper masters and so forth. By the turn of the 20th century, the bazaar began to lose its charm. The inns and caravansaries began to close down, and Kemeraltı became just another regular shopping spot in the city.

Today, Kemeraltı is filled with modern shops, business centers, cinema halls and offices. However, the old buildings have certainly not lost their glory. For instance, Kızlarğası Inn, which was home to visitors from around the world, is now a favorite spot for locals and tourists to drink the best Turkish coffee in town.
The bazaar is also a lure for modern shopaholics since everybody can find something to their liking: from fashionable jewelry to the best spices in town, clothing, kitchenware and food, one can find everything in Kemeraltı.
If you want to travel back in time to see what it was like to shop three centuries ago, be sure to get the full Kemeraltı experience when you are in İzmir.
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Dec 20, 2019 1:07 am
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    homepage
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    World's only intercontinental run: Istanbul Marathon 2021
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021