Another picture from the old days...

The Bond producer's explanation for the filming in the Grand Bazaar.

James Bond's record labels 'Bazaar' Statement

"Covered roof tiles that you see but there is no way we would have shot motorcycles touched. His platform was built on. 135 thousand pounds, and the fact that charges had done the same. Historical place no harm and the motorcycle went on our platform."
23 who continue to shoot in Istanbul Bond film 'producer Michael G. Skyfall'un Wilson and film footage in Turkey, which is responsible for the Phoenix Film officials held a press conference, Ali Mediterranean.

WILSON BOND FILM PRODUCER

Legacy Ottoman Hotel, the first press conference as a producer of Bond films, Michael G. Wilson said. Wilson, who expressed happiness to be in Turkey, "the Minister of Culture would like to thank all our team to provide adequate support. So far shot film in many countries. We left a good impression everywhere. Bırakacağımızı impression in Turkey hoping that direction." he said.

MEDITERRANEAN TURKISH FILM PRODUCER

Has been a considerable effort to bring the project to this point that the film-maker Ali Akdeniz in Turkish, "First of all, this is not the places to shoot, talking about another place, Transport and the Ministry of Culture on the promises, our preference has been used in large projects also influenced natural places "he said.

Bazaar harm and

The filmmakers then answered questions from journalists. During the shoot, where damage to historical sites that respond to allegations that Wilson, "The film industry as people are creating an illusion. Cinema confined only to this art. What you see is not real. In many countries where we have shot and the shooting took care not to show damage. Grand Bazaar, but the roofs have shot motorcycles tiles that you see there is no way been touched. His platform was built on. 135 thousand pounds, and the fact that charges had done the same. historical sites did not damage the motorcycle went on our platform, "he said.

BUILDING THE MOTORCYCLE NOT contacted surfaces

In one scene he struck the motorcycle and causing damage to the building in question to Wilson, "Building outstanding motorcycle scene, you will see that there is no building. That we have established the building. Bazaar claims that the glass has broken. There was added to the window. We are making an illusion here. Only one stage motorcycle flew and broke the glass of a store. Store owner've offered to meet losses. did not give us an answer yet, but we think that it will accept, "he said.

AS we reflect modern day Turkey

Turkey in its modern form, as well as to reflect the work that expresses Wilson, 'the film shows Turkey as a backward country,' the critics said was not true in the.

This photo is a very interesting one from the old times where you can see shopowners all outside the shops. The light, the way they are dressed all very interesting.

The Grand Bazaar from the eyes of a foreigner...

http://youtu.be/EvhhaKjXDq8

It opens at 08:30 am and closes at 7:00 pm the rest of the year...

If you're planning to visit the Bazaar, keep in mind that the Bazaar is closed on: 

Sundays
29th of October
Muslim holidays

I should not forget the James Bond movie as well. This is the place where a scene from the old movie was shot. This year they shot a new Bond movie as well. Actually during the shoot one of the shop's window was broken by the Bond motorcycle. The shopowner was really pissed off because of the damage.

Even the map says that the Bazaar is mostly for gold shopping. Believe me there is so much more. There is shopping of course, but there is food, there is history, there is banking, there is tradition, there is production and of course there is architecture...

a look at the map of the Bazaar...

Gold nowadays is the first thing that comes to mind when one mentions the name of the Grand Bazaar. Although for me the Bazaar is so much more than gold, I will talk about gold and the bazaar later in great detail.

The Bazaar and the Gold...

Zincirli Han was actually built for the traders from outside the Ottoman Empire to spend the night near the Bazaar. Downstairs was for the houses and upstairs for their owners. The stairs that lead you upstairs are so steep, it really is tiring to go up (especially if you're on high heels).

The floor downstairs is full of old stones that are placed abruptly so that the horses can walk easily. (Now that I think of it, it's not really a good place to wear high heels:)

Zincirli Han...

One of the 17 "han"s of the Bazaar. Actually my favorite. In these hot summer days, it's a wonderful spot to stay cool. There is a tea shop right at the entrance of the "han". It's a very small shop basically serving tea to the shops and their visitors in the "han". The tea is always fresh and I should not forget the wonderful, the legendary fresh lemonade. You'll get away from the hot days of Istanbul with the first sip. Say hello to Sabahattin Abi, the owner of the tea shop. He'll serve it himself and is a very friendly guy indeed. He might even tell you his stories from his home village.

Each street had a specific sector. The slippers, the quilters, the shoemakers, the jewelers, the rug makers...

The Bazaar was built in a way that all shops were exactly the same size. Now since people bought stores next to each other and combined them, digged underneath or opened space upstairs, (all illegaly by the way) all stores are totally different from each other.

Besides the magnificent architecture, there was a deep philosophy of the place. Trade ethics and traditional values were highly appreciated at that time. Traders respected and accepted these values by heart. 

It was not just the general ethics, but the Bazaar had its own traditions. During those times there used to be wars often. The women were left behind and the men were far away at war for months, sometimes years. In order to help these women, the Bazaar had a street where there were open safes. The shopowners put money in those safes for those women who are in need. These women picked up this money when they needed something and once their husbands got back and they became well off paid the money back to where they picked it up.

The delicacy in this charity mechanism is so full of courtesy and it's so sad to know that it's something impossible to happen in today's world.

Sometimes I fantasize about the way it was built, how Fatih the Conquerer ordered his staff to make a Bazaar and appreciate his vision. The 66 streets and 17 inn's were probably completed over time, but the Bazaar was probably very popular since the day that it was completed.

Fatih Sultan Mehmet, or as most people say Fatih (the Conquerer) is the person who ordered a covered bazaar be made. The old domes developed with streets around them and the Bazaar soon turned into a big ancient shopping mall.

This is how the Bazaar looks from the sky...
The architecture is so interesting actually. You don't feel cold so much in the winter and you don't feel hot so much in the summer when you're inside the Bazaar. Unfortunately it still does not have the attention it deserves from the local authorities, but still it's a fascinating old market place.

The Bazaar is almost always very busy with the tourists trying to buy some traditional rugs or jewelry, with the locals using the Bazaar streets as a short cut on their way, with 13 year old boys on their first day at work running around to finish their first task.

I remember the first time I went to the Bazaar. It was so crowded I was afraid I'd get lost so I remember holding my mom's hand so hard that my hand hurt. I was only 5. I was so small, the Bazaar was so huge...

They check out almost 100 types of goods sold in 3600 shops called "dükkan" in Turkish.

Approximately 300 thousand people enter through these doors and walk through the 64 streets of the Bazaar.

My favorite entrance among the 22 entrances...

Word has it that there are water canals underneath the Bazaar built by the Byzantines. It's believed that they used it to run away from the enemies in times of war. It's been told that the canals are so tiny that one has to bend over even to be able to travel with a small boat.

I probably would never have the chance to find out if it's true. Nevertheless the mystery underneath is no more than what the streets of the Bazaar has to offer. Each street is like a gateway to a different world. It's very easy to get lost for a first time visitor, yet a local of the Bazaar walks by heart without even giving a second thought as to which street to take to arrive his final destination.

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is the oldest covered Bazaar in the world. Yet it talks very little of itself. So I decided to open up the treasures of the Grand Bazaar to the whole world...