This enticing collection of stalls, also known as the Spice Market, is much smaller than the Grand Bazaar but more crowded and colorful—though not as colorful, perhaps, as it was when built in the 17th century to generate rental income to pay for the upkeep of the Yeni Cami (New Mosque), next door. In those earlier days the bazaar was a vast pharmacy filled with burlap bags overflowing with herbs and spices fresh off the ships from Egypt and the spice islands, beyond. Today you can wander through stalls chockablock with white sacks of spices, as well as bags full of fruit, nuts, and royal jelly from the beehives of the Aegean Sea.
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