세계에서 가장 많이 찾는 가장 오래된 시장 이스탄불 '그랜드바자르' History’s Oldest Shopping Mall Remains One of the World’s Most Visited Attractions(VIDEO)

경제문화 Economy, Culture/해외여행 Oversea travel2016. 1. 15. 21:43

History’s Oldest Shopping Mall Remains One of the World’s Most Visited Attractions

세계적 관광명소 터키 이스탄불의 '그랜드 바자르'

과거에는 꽤나 풍요로운 곳이었으며 세계에서 가장 오래된 시장이다.

그랜드 바자르에는 카펫 보석 길거리음식 그리고 기념품 등을 파는 61개의 상점과 3천개가 넘는

노점상이 있다.

시장의 역사는 1453년 오토만제국의 이스탄불 정복 후 잠시 통치하던 술탄 메흐메트2세의 15세기

중반으로 거슬러 올라간다.

오늘날 그랜드 시장은 세계적으로 엄청난 인기를 누리고 있으며

세계 각지에서 연 91백만명의 쇼핑객들이 찾는 세계에서 가장 많은 사람들이 찾는 관광명소다.

그랜드 시장이 처음 문을 열었을 때는 베데스탄이라고 하는 고작 의류 등을 파는 상점들만 있었다.

*주석: 동서양의 문화가 교차하는 터키는 생전에 반드시 한번은 찾아봐야 할 곳 중 하나다.

by Ki Chul Hwang

Conpaper Editor Distributor

황기철 콘페이퍼 에디터

By Sara Barnes

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey is a place with a rich and extensive past. Widely considered to be history’s oldest shopping mall, it occupies 61 covered streets and contains over 3,000 independent vendors that sell everything from carpet to jewelry to spices to souvenirs. Its beginnings date back to the mid 15th century, when Sultan Mehmet II commissioned it shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1453. Today, the Grand Bazaar remains incredibly popular—in 2014, it was the most visited tourist attraction in the world and boasted over 91 million annual shoppers.

The Bazaar as we know it came together organically over time. When it first opened, it traded only in textiles and was called Cevâhir Bedestan, or Bedesten of Gems. After a place known as the Sandal Bedesten was erected nearby, the fabric businesses moved there, and the Cevâhir Bedestan was reserved for luxury goods. Between the two buildings, however, many sellers opened their own shops, eventually establishing a quarter devoted to commerce. By the beginning of the 1600s, the building had reached its current form.

Modern-day visitors to the massive market are among more than 250,000 daily shoppers. Wares are housed in small stalls and grouped together based on what they sell. Prices for these items are rarely fixed, so it’s a haven for hagglers. To get a sense of the Bazaar, check out the photos, below.

Above photo credit: Luciano Mortula / Shutterstock.com