The Spice Bazaar’s L-shaped vaulted passages connect Eminönü’s waterfront trade with a dense array of food and household shops. Built as part of the New Mosque complex, the market’s name recalls the trade routes and revenues that sustained it.
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The scent of spices is part of the bazaar’s present identity, but the building was also an economic instrument. Turhan Hatice, mother of Sultan Mehmed IV, commissioned it as part of the New Mosque complex. Construction began in 1660 and finished in 1664.
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UpgradeQuick facts
- The bazaar was commissioned by Turhan Hatice as part of the New Mosque complex.
- Construction ran from 1660 to 1664.
- Revenue from Cairo contributed to financing the complex, giving rise to its Egyptian Bazaar name.
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