Podcasts · The Story of Turkey: From Byzantium to the Ottoman Empire to Today — Fexingo History
The Grand Bazaar: How Istanbul's Market Became the Ottomans' Engine
· 13 min · S5 E211
Episode The Grand Bazaar: How Istanbul's Market Became the Ottomans' Engine
In this episode, Lucas and Luna step into the labyrinth of the Grand Bazaar, the covered market that anchored Ottoman trade and power for centuries. They trace its origins from the 15th-century warehouses of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror to its role as a global hub for silk, spices, gold, and ideas. Along the way, they meet the guilds that ran the bazaar, the merchants who crossed continents, and the inspectors who kept order. They explore how the bazaar financed the empire, shaped its foreign policy, and even influenced the Ottomans' relations with Venice, Persia, and the Mughals. From the Bedesten's vaulted halls to the bustling streets of the Old Bazaar, this episode reveals how a market was never just a market — it was the empire's beating heart.
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Transcript
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