Arasta Bazaar is one of the most visited places in Istanbul, and this is also due to the fact that the market is located in the historical center of the city, near the Blue Mosque where it is always crowded. Arasta Bazaar appeared in the 17th century in the complex of the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque) on the site where the Grand Palace of the Byzantine period used to be.During the Ottoman Empire, the bazaar was known as the Sipahiler Bazaar (Sipahiler Çarşısı). The bazaar was destroyed by fire in 1912, then was not used for a long time and has been restored since 1980.Arasta Bazaar is not the most popular market in Istanbul compared to the larger and more famous bazaars of the city, such as the Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Bazaar. But Arasta is a very quiet place where you can take a walk, without any inconvenience to examine the goods and, if desired, buy something. Arasta is one small street, on both sides of which there are cozy shops selling things, textiles, carpets, dishes, Turkish goods, spices, ceramics, souvenirs, hookahs, sweets, etc.
