Mısır Bazaar

The Spice Bazaar is located in Eminönü, behind the New Mosque and next to the Flower Market. One of Istanbul's oldest covered bazaars, it was commissioned in 1660 by Turhan Sultan during the reign of IV. Mehmed to cover the expenses of the New Mosque. The architect was Kazım Ağa.

The bazaar has a total of ten shops and its layout is "L"-shaped. Initially, the bazaar was called "Valide Bazaar" or "New Bazaar." It later acquired the name "Spice Bazaar" due to the spice merchants who settled inside the bazaar and brought their goods from Egypt to sell here. The area of the bazaar closest to the mosque is domed. Inside the bazaar, at the intersection of the two sections forming the "L," there was a wooden pulpit for the guild preacher. The preacher made announcements related to the bazaar tradesmen from here and addressed questions and concerns.

The bazaar was last restored by the Istanbul Municipality between 1940 and 1943. The Spice Bazaar welcomes an average of around 35,000 visitors daily. Today, while it is predominantly occupied by spice sellers and various types of Turkish delight, it is also used by many other tradespeople.