istanbul, turkey

The confluence of the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. (part 2)

By Francisco Morais

November 25^th, 2019

Büyük Çarşı - Kapalıçarşı

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 m2, attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it was listed No.1 among the world's most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. The Grand Bazar at Istanbul is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world.

Balat

Balat is the traditional Jewish quarter in the Fatih district of Istanbul. It is located on the European side of Istanbul, in the old city on the historic peninsula, on the western bank of the Golden Horn. (Another Istanbul neighborhood deeply associated with Jewish settlement is Kuzguncuk on the Asian shore.) In the present day, the ruins of Poli Yashan ("Old City"), a former Jewish synagogue, are in this neighborhood. Some of the congregation of Poli Yashan went on to found the Poli Hadash, the latter name being a mix of Greek and Hebrew terms that means "New City".