50 Kuruş's video: MISIR AR ISI SPICE BAZAAR - STANBUL

Located in the Eminönü district of İstanbul and covering an area of 384 blocks, the Egyptian Bazaar is part of the külliye of the New Mosque stretches along Tahmis and Flower Market streets and New Mosque street. The Egyptian Bazaar used to be called as the “New Bazaar” and “Valide Bazaar” by the historiographers of the 17th century. However it later earned reputation in mid-18th century with the name of “Egyptian Bazaar” as the spices and goods that were sold in the bazaar were mostly coming from Egypt. More commonly used compared to others, the name of “Egyptian Bazaar” is also read in the travel books of foreign travelers in referring to the structure. In Constantinople by Edmondo de Amicis dated 1874, the Egyptian Bazaar is described as follows: “Entering this, we are immediately assailed by an odour so powerful as to fairly knock one down: this is the Egyptian Bazaar, where are deposited all the wares of India, Syria, Egypt, and Arabia, which later on, converted into essences, pastilles, powders and ointments, serve to colour little hands and faces, perfume apartments and baths and breaths and beards, reinvigorate worn-out pashas, and dull the senses of unhappy married people, stupefy smokers, and spread dreams, oblivion, and insensibility throughout the whole of the vast city. After going but a short distance in this bazaar your head begins to feel dull and heavy, and you get out of it as fast as you can; but the effect of that hot, close atmosphere and those penetrating odors clings long to your clothing, and remains for all time in your memory as one of the most vivid and characteristic impressions of the East.” The Egyptian Bazaar was allocated between herbalists and cotton dealers when it was first constructed. 3 (Fish Bazaar, Mat and Linen Dealers) of the 6 gates were allocated to herbalists; and the rest (New Mosque, Haseki and Flower Market) to the cotton dealers. During that period, while 49 out of almost 100 stores were occupied by the herbalists; the rest by the cotton dealers and quilt makers. The names of the gates have changed in time as follows: Eminönü Gate / Yeni Cami Gate, Balık Pazarı Gate / Tahmis Gate / Hasırcılar Gate, Ketenciler Gate / Tahtakale Gate, Çiçek Pazarı Gate and Bahçe Gate. The master gates on both edges of the Egyptian Bazaar had been elevated on purpose to give impression in architectural terms. While the upper floors of the bazaar were used as Commercial Courts it is a known fact that in either of the edges there used to be Muslim judges handling the conflicts between tradesmen themselves and the public and tradesmen.