The Ottoman Bazaar Through the Eyes of Western Travelers and Poets of the Classical Period
Public spheres, which play a significant role in the formation of urban culture and daily life, are places where people from all walks of life come together and socialize. Among these public spheres, bazaars stand out as vibrant centers of social integration and commerce – long regarded as a backbon...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Istanbul University Press
2025-05-01
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| Series: | İstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı Dergisi |
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| Online Access: | https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/BB3BF6B9FBFA4DE083C3B2C9F9E5F73E |
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| _version_ | 1850277581639647232 |
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| author | Gülçin Tanrıbuyurdu |
| author_facet | Gülçin Tanrıbuyurdu |
| author_sort | Gülçin Tanrıbuyurdu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Public spheres, which play a significant role in the formation of urban culture and daily life, are places where people from all walks of life come together and socialize. Among these public spheres, bazaars stand out as vibrant centers of social integration and commerce – long regarded as a backbone of the Ottoman Empire. These bazaars represent a space where nearly every aspect of urban culture and Ottoman social life intersect. Not only did they serve the needs and expectations of society, but they also posed as venues for discussions of various public matters, from trade to politics. Due to the Ottoman Empire’s strategic position on rich and dynamic trade routes, bazaars became vital hubs for the empire’s production and consumption activities. Dominated by a wide array of tradesmen, artisans, and merchants, these bazaars represented a complex yet cohesive system. This study explores the Ottoman bazaar as a space of encounter and social integration - accessible to all segments of society- through the accounts of Western travelers and classical period Ottoman poets, whose witness offer key insights into Ottoman social life. The records of travelers and poets regarding the Bedesten and Grand Bazaar in İstanbul, the capital of the empire, are analyzed under themes such as the physical structure of the bazaar, the bustle of the bazaar, the tradespeople in the bazaar, the goods sold there, and the maintenance of order in the bazaar. The presented data highlights the contributions of social history and literature to the evaluation of Ottoman social life and the relationship between literature and society through the parallels found in the observations of travelers and period poets regarding the bazaar. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d0ba686ea34b444489467ffdae077295 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2602-2648 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Istanbul University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | İstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı Dergisi |
| spelling | doaj-art-d0ba686ea34b444489467ffdae0772952025-08-20T01:49:50ZengIstanbul University Pressİstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı Dergisi2602-26482025-05-0165114516210.26650/TUDED2025-1563432123456The Ottoman Bazaar Through the Eyes of Western Travelers and Poets of the Classical PeriodGülçin Tanrıbuyurdu0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9962-5171Kocaeli Üniversitesi, Kocaeli, TürkiyePublic spheres, which play a significant role in the formation of urban culture and daily life, are places where people from all walks of life come together and socialize. Among these public spheres, bazaars stand out as vibrant centers of social integration and commerce – long regarded as a backbone of the Ottoman Empire. These bazaars represent a space where nearly every aspect of urban culture and Ottoman social life intersect. Not only did they serve the needs and expectations of society, but they also posed as venues for discussions of various public matters, from trade to politics. Due to the Ottoman Empire’s strategic position on rich and dynamic trade routes, bazaars became vital hubs for the empire’s production and consumption activities. Dominated by a wide array of tradesmen, artisans, and merchants, these bazaars represented a complex yet cohesive system. This study explores the Ottoman bazaar as a space of encounter and social integration - accessible to all segments of society- through the accounts of Western travelers and classical period Ottoman poets, whose witness offer key insights into Ottoman social life. The records of travelers and poets regarding the Bedesten and Grand Bazaar in İstanbul, the capital of the empire, are analyzed under themes such as the physical structure of the bazaar, the bustle of the bazaar, the tradespeople in the bazaar, the goods sold there, and the maintenance of order in the bazaar. The presented data highlights the contributions of social history and literature to the evaluation of Ottoman social life and the relationship between literature and society through the parallels found in the observations of travelers and period poets regarding the bazaar.https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/BB3BF6B9FBFA4DE083C3B2C9F9E5F73Eurban culturepublic sphereottoman bazaarwestern travelersottoman poets |
| spellingShingle | Gülçin Tanrıbuyurdu The Ottoman Bazaar Through the Eyes of Western Travelers and Poets of the Classical Period İstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Türk Dili ve Edebiyatı Dergisi urban culture public sphere ottoman bazaar western travelers ottoman poets |
| title | The Ottoman Bazaar Through the Eyes of Western Travelers and Poets of the Classical Period |
| title_full | The Ottoman Bazaar Through the Eyes of Western Travelers and Poets of the Classical Period |
| title_fullStr | The Ottoman Bazaar Through the Eyes of Western Travelers and Poets of the Classical Period |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Ottoman Bazaar Through the Eyes of Western Travelers and Poets of the Classical Period |
| title_short | The Ottoman Bazaar Through the Eyes of Western Travelers and Poets of the Classical Period |
| title_sort | ottoman bazaar through the eyes of western travelers and poets of the classical period |
| topic | urban culture public sphere ottoman bazaar western travelers ottoman poets |
| url | https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/BB3BF6B9FBFA4DE083C3B2C9F9E5F73E |
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