Kapali Çarsi (covered bazaar)

Kapali Çarsi (covered bazaar) Review

The vast Kapali Çarsi comprises many adjoining hans (caravansaries, inns for merchants) surrounding a bedestan (the central part of a covered bazaar, which is vaulted and fireproofed). Bursa sultans began building bazaars in the 14th century to finance the construction or maintenance of their schools, mosques, or kitchen houses. The precinct was soon topped with roofs, creating the earliest form of covered bazaar, and late in the century Yildirim Beyazit perfected the concept by building a bedesten with six woven parts connected by arches and topped by 14 domes. The complex was flattened by a massive earthquake in 1855, and parts were badly burned by fire in the 1950s, but Kapali Çarsi has been lovingly restored to provide wonderful flavor of the past. Best buys here include silver and gold jewelry, thick Turkish cotton towels (for which Bursa is famous), and silk goods.