The Valens Aqueduct (Turkish: Bozdoğan Kemeri, meaning “Aqueduct of the grey falcon”; Greek: Άγωγός του ὔδατος, Agōgós tou hýdatos, meaning simply “aqueduct“) was the major water-providing system of medieval Constantinople (modern Istanbul, in Turkey). Restored by several Ottoman Sultans, it is one of the most important landmarks of the city.

Location

The aqueduct stands in Istanbul, in the quarter of Fatih, and spans the valley between the hills occupied today by the Istanbul University and the Fatih Mosque. The surviving section is 921 meters long, about 50 meters less than the original length.^[1] The Atatürk Bulvarı boulevard passes under its arches.

Today it is usually called the Aqueduct of Valens, since it was finished in 368, during Valens’s reign, but there is reason to assume that it was already planned and begun in Constantine’s time.39 As mentioned above, the aqueduct runs parallel to one of the streets in the old part of Byzantium. Also, its southeastern
prolongation would exactly meet the main entrance of the courtyard in the Great Palace that is now the Mosaic Museum. It is obvious that the aqueduct  was planned in a clear relationship to the street system of the old town of Byzantium. Arches 26/27 and 52 are wider than the others in the aqueduct and were certainly
intended to serve as passages for streets.40 At other points where we would expect similar wider arches, the original construction is lost, for example, at the northwestern end close to the church of the Holy Apostles, where the aqueduct was completely rebuilt in Ottoman times.

History

Roman period

The construction of a water supply system for the city (then still called Byzantium) had begun already under the Roman emperor Hadrian.^[2] Under Constantine I, when the city was rebuilt and increased in size, the system needed to be greatly expanded to meet the needs of the rapidly growing population.^[3]

The Valens aqueduct, which originally got its water from the slopes of the hills between Kağıthane and the Sea of Marmara,^[4] was merely one of the terminal points of this new wide system of aqueducts and canals – which eventually reached over 250 kilometers in total length, the longest such system of Antiquity – that stretched throughout the hill-country of Thrace and provided the capital with water. Once in the city, the water was stored in three open reservoirs and over a hundred underground cisterns, such as the Basilica Cistern, with a total capacity of over 1 million cubic meters.^[5]

“Aqueduct of Valens (in the City)” (Istanbul) engraved by J.C.Bentley after a picture by W.H.Bartlett, published in The Beauties of the Bosphorus, 1838. Steel engraved print with recent hand colour. Good condition. Size 18 x 14.5 cms including title, plus margins. Ref G3331

The exact date that construction on the aqueduct began is uncertain, but it was completed in the year 368 during the reign of Roman Emperor Valens, whose name it bears. It lay along the valley between the third and fourth hills of Constantinople, occupied respectively at that time by the Capitolium and the Church of the Holy Apostles.^[6] According to tradition, the aqueduct was built using the stones of the walls of Chalcedon, pulled down as punishment in 366 after the revolt of Procopius.^[6] The structure was inaugurated in the year 373 by the urban prefect Klearchos, who commissioned a Nymphaeum Maius in the Forum of Theodosius, that was supplied with water from the aqueduct.^[6]a[›]

After a severe drought in 382, Theodosius I built a new line (the Aquaeductus Theodosiacus), which took water from the northeastern region known today as the “Belgrade Forest”.^[3]

East Roman (Byzantine) period

Other works were executed under Theodosius II, who decided to distribute the water of the aqueduct exclusively to the Nymphaeum, the Baths of Zeuxippus and the Great Palace of Constantinople.^[3] The aqueduct, possibly damaged by an earthquake, was restored under Emperor Justinian I, who connected it with the Cistern of the Basilica of Illus^b[›] (identified today either with the Yerebatan or with the Binbirdirek (Turkish: Turkish): “thousand and one columns”) cistern, and was repaired in 576 by Justin II, who built a separate pipe.^[6][7]

The aqueduct was cut by the Avars during the siege of 626, and the water supply was reestablished only after the great drought of 758 by Emperor Constantine V.^[6] The Emperor had the whole water supply system repaired by a certain Patrikios, who used a large labour force coming from the whole of Greece and Anatolia.^[6]

Other maintenance works were accomplished under Emperors Basil II (in 1019) and Romanos III Argyros.^[4][8]

The last Byzantine Emperor who took care of the aqueduct was Andronikos I Komnenos.^[7] Neither during the Latin Empire nor during the Palaiologan period were any repair works executed, but by that time the population of the city had shrunk to about 40,000 – 50,000 inhabitants, so that the water supply was no longer a very important issue.^[4] Nevertheless, according to Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo, a Castilian diplomat who traveled to Constantinople en route to an embassy to Timur in 1403, the aqueduct was still functioning.^[6]

Ottoman period

After the Fall of Constantinople (1453), Sultan Mehmet II repaired the whole water supply, which was then used to bring water to the imperial palaces of Eski Sarayi (the first palace, built on the third hill) and Topkapı Sarayi, and connected it with a new line coming from the northeast. The great earthquake of 1509 destroyed the arches near the Mosque of Şehzade, which was erected some time later. This gave rise to the popular legend that they were cut, in order to allow a better view from the nearby mosque. The repairs to the water-supplying net continued under Beyazid II, who added a new line.^[8]

Around the middle of the 16th century, Suleyman I rebuilt arches (now ogival) 47 up to 51 (counted from the west) near the Şehzade Mosque, and commissioned the Imperial Architect Sinan to add two more lines, coming from the Forest of Belgrade (Belgrad Ormanı).^[4] The increased flow allowed the distribution of water to the Kιrkçeşme (“Forty Fountains”) quarter, situated along the aqueduct on the Golden Horn side, and so called after the many fountains built there under Suleyman.^[4]

Under Sultan Mustafa II, five arches (41-45) were restored, respecting the ancient form. An inscription in situ, dated 1696/97, commemorates the event.^[8] His successor Ahmed III repaired again the distribution net.^[8]

In 1912, a 50-meter-long part of the aqueduct near the Fatih Mosque was pulled down.^[4] In the same period, a new modern Taksim (“distribution plant”, lit. ‘division’) at the east end was erected.^[4]

Description

The Aqueduct of Valens

The Aqueduct of Valens had a length of 971 meters and a maximum height of ca. 29 meters (63 meters above sea level) with a constant slope of 1:1000.^[6] Arches 1-40 and 46-51 belong to the time of Valens, arches 41-45 to Mustafa II, and those between 52 and 56 to Suleyman I.^[9] Arches 18-73 have a double order, the others a single order.^[6][9]

Originally the structure ran perfectly straight, but during the construction of the Fatih Mosque – for unknown reasons – it was bent in that section.^[10] The masonry is not regular, and uses a combination of ashlar blocks and bricks.^[6] The first row of arches is built with well-squared stone blocks, the upper row is built with four to seven courses of stones alternated with a bed of smaller material (opus caementitium) clamped with iron cramps.^[10] The width of the aqueduct varies from 7.75 meters to 8.24 meters.^[6] The pillars are 3.70 meters thick, and the arches of the lower order are four meters wide.^[10]

The water comes from two lines from the northeast and one coming from the northwest, which join together outside the walls, near the Adrianople Gate (Edirne Kapı).^[1] Near the east end of the aqueduct there is a distribution plant, and another lies near Hagia Sophia. The water feeds the zone of the imperial palace.^[10] The daily discharge in the 1950s amounted to 6,120 cubic meters.^[10] During Byzantine times, two roads important for the topography of medieval Constantinople crossed under the eastern section of the aqueduct.^[10]

CISTERN of AETIOS

This open cistern in the northwest of the city was built in 421 and filled with water from the supply line leading to the Aqueduct of Valens. In the middle byzantine time, it was probably already used as a garden.

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The building is located in the Çarşamba neighborhood within the district of Fatih inside the walled city of Istanbul. Theotokos Pammakaristos overlooks the Golden Horn. It was originally a church, built in the 13th century by one of the notables of the Byzantine state, Mikhail Glabas Tarkaniotes. It is Pammakaristos monastery church constructed in Byzantine Period. A grave chapel has been added with the end of the Latin invasion in the 13th century.

It was used as the Patriarchate in 1454 after the conquest of Constantinople. After the conquest, it remained under the control of Christians and used as a women’s monastery, in 1455 patriarchate has been moved to this building and the building has been used as patriarchate until 1586.

This church has been converted into a mosque by Murat III (1574 – 1595) and the mosque has been named as Fethiye. In 1590, to commemorate the conquest of Georgia and Azerbaijan in the Iranian wars, the church was converted to a mosque.

The northern church is still being used as a mosque. The walls of the additional church are ornamented with the beautiful mosaics of the 14th century. After being repaired between the years 1938 – 1940, it has been converted into a unit of Ayasofya Museum.

During the conversion a part of the apse was removed and a niche (mihrap) built showing the direction of Mecca. A minaret and medrese were also added. With the beginning of the Republic era the mosque became a museum and the American Byzantine Institute uncovered the frescoes and mosaics inside in 1955. The arch built by the Turks was replaced by columns as originally found. In the 1960′s the mosque was once again opened for worship. The walls of the mosque are a mix of stone and bricks. The Greek inscriptions on the exterior walls and interior mosaics are particularly eye-catching.

The Parekklesion of the Pammakaristos Church. In the background, the dome of the former church, now a mosque. Pammakaristos Church, also known as the Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos (Joyous Mother of God), later known as Fethiye Mosque (Turkish: Fethiye Camii) and today partly a museum, is one of the most famous Byzantine churches in Istanbul, Turkey. The Parekklesion, besides being one of the most important examples of Constantinople’s Palaiologan architecture, has the largest amount of Byzantine mosaics after the Hagia Sophia and Chora Church in Istanbul.

History
According to most scholars, the church was built between the eleventh and the twelfth centuries. Many historians and archaeologists believe that the original structure of the church can be attributed to Michael VII Ducas (1071-1078), others put its foundation in the Comnenian period. It has also been suggested by the Swiss scholar and Byzantinist Ernest Mamboury that the original building was erected in the 8th century.

A parekklesion (a side chapel) was added to the south side of the church in the early palaiologan period, and dedicated to Christos ho Logos (Greek: “Christ the Word”). The small shrine was erected by Martha Glabas in memory of her late husband, Michael Tarchaniotes Glabas, a general and protostrator of Andronikos II Palaiologos, shortly after the year 1310. An elegant dedicatory inscription to Christ, written by the poet Manuel Philes, runs along the parekklesion, both outside and inside it.

The main church was also renovated at the same time, as the study of the Templon has shown. Following the fall of Constantinople, the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate was first moved to the Church of the Holy Apostles, and in 1456 to the Pammakaristos Church, which remained as the seat of the Patriarchate until 1587.

Five years later, the Ottoman Sultan Murad III converted the church into a mosque and renamed it in honor of his Fetih (Conquest) of Georgia and Azerbaijan, hence the name Fethiye Camii. To accommodate the requirements of prayer, most of the interior walls were removed in order to create a larger inner space. The complex, which was neglected, has been restored in 1949 by the Byzantine Institute of America and Dumbarton Oaks, which brought it back to its pristine splendor. While the main building has always been a mosque, the parekklesion has since then been a museum.

Architecture And Decoration
The Comnenian building was a church with a main aisle and two deambulatoria, and had three apses, and a narthex to the west. The masonry was typical of the Comnenian period, and adopted the technique of the recessed brick. In this technique, alternate coarses of brick are mounted behind the line of the wall, and are plunged in a mortar’s bed, which can still be seen in the cistern underneath and in the church.

The transformation of the church into a mosque changed the original building greatly. The arcades connecting the main aisle with the deambulatoria were removed and were replaced with broad archways to open up the nave. The three apses were removed too. In their place toward the east a great domed room was built, obliquely with respect to the orientation of the building.

On the other side, the parekklesion represents the most beautiful building of the late Byzantine period in Constantinople. It has the typical cross-in-square plan with five domes, but the proportion between vertical and horizontal dimensions is much bigger than usual (although not so big as in the contemporary Byzantine churches built in the Balkans).

Although the inner colored marble revetment largely disappeared, the shrine still contains the restored remains of a number of mosaic panels, which, while not as varied and well-preserved as those of the Chora Church, serve as another resource for understanding late Byzantine art.

A representation of the Pantocrator, surrounded by the prophets of the Old Testament (Moses, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Micah, Joel, Zechariah, Obadiah, Habakkuk, Jonah, Malachi, Ezekiel, and Isaiah) is under the main dome. On the apse, Christ Hyperagathos is shown with Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist. The Baptism of Christ survives intact to the right side of the dome.

MORE INFO
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
Governorship Of Istanbul / Gallery
Wikipedia / Pammakaristos Church

These scripts and photographs are registered under Copyright 2008, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Governorship Of Istanbul / Gallery, Wikipedia / Pammakaristos Church. All Rights Reserved.

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 Istanbul is famous not only for its historical works but also for its historical natural beauties. We wish to share with you Cahit Akyol’s “Centennial Trees of Istanbul” article, which was published in the Hürriyet daily newspaper.

In order to be considered as “monumental”, a tree must be certified by the committees for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Treasure. Age is not the only factor; the tree should also be of above-average size for its species or have a folkloric or historical value. It is forbidden to prune these trees without the permission of the Protection Committee.

According to Prof. Dr. Adnan Uzun, President of the Landscaping Department of the Forestry Faculty of Istanbul University, the age of these monumental trees in Istanbul befits such a historical city, and the centennial trees located in parks, squares, mosque courtyards, gardens of old houses and forests are registered in their inventories.

The most famous ones are listed below:

Eyüp Sultan Çınarı – Eyüp Sultan’s Plane
Venue: the outer court of Eyüp Sultan mosque
Family: Eastern Plane
Diameter: 2.87 meters
Height: 20.5 meters
Age: about 600 years old
When Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror conquered Istanbul, he had a mosque built at the site of Halid bin Zeyd’s tomb. Halid bin Zeyd had died during the siege of the Umayyads. After 600 years, Eyüp Sultan mosque has become one of the most frequently visited mosques in Istanbul, and this plane is considered to be of the same age as the mosque.

Taşlı Çınar of Fatih (Fatih’s Plane with Stone)
Venue: opposite the gate to Gülhane Park, Eminönü
Family: Eastern Plane
Diameter: 2.30 meters
Height: 23.5 meters
Age: about 300 years old
It is believed that a stone is buried next to this gigantic plane tree located in the middle of the road leading to Sultanahmet from Sirkeci and that this stone had startled Fatih’s (Mehmet the Conqueror’s) gray horse. However, the tree is not as old as Fatih.

Doğu Çınarı (Eastern Plane)
Venue: In the garden of Midilli Ali Reis Mosque
Family: Anatolian poplar
Circumference: 6 meters
Diameter: 1.91 meters
Age: about 200 years old

Three trees at Fenerbahçe Park
Two of the centennial trees at Fenerbahçe Park are Mediterranean Cypresses, which are 380 years old and 19 meters high. The other is a gum tree, which is 442 years old and 17 meters high. Sultan Süleyman The Magnificent had an imperial edict written and ordered a lighthouse built at the peninsula lying opposite Topkapı Palace and the environment forested. It is assumed that those three trees are from that period.

Ahtapot Çınarı (Octopus Plane Tree)
Venue: Faculty of Forestry, Education and Research Farm, Bahçeköy-Sarıyer
Family: London Plane tree
Diameter: 3.65 meters
Height: 32 meters
Age: about 500 years old
This plane tree is located on the right of the entrance to Bahçeköy Bilezikçi Farm and has eight branches. Visits are subject to permission from the Faculty of Forestry.

Katil Çınar (Murderer Plane Tree)
Venue: behind the Çengelköy Police station
Circumference: 6.6 meters
Diameter: 1.92 meters
Age: about 500 years old
This plane tree is located at Çengelköy Square near the seaside and is surrounded by tea gardens. One of the dried branches at the top broke, fell and killed a man who was sitting at the tea garden under the tree. Now the tree stretches over a distance of 10-15 meters over iron bars placed for support at one-meterintervals.

Aşıklar Çınarı (Lovers’ Plane Tree)
Venue: on the terrace next to Çamlıca Gazinosu on Çamlıca hill
Age: about 300 years old
This tree is claimed to be the inspiration for a favorite song. Also, there is a 450-year-old cypress tree at Çilehane Bahçesi in Küçük Çamlıca.

Beykoz’daki Anıt Ağaçlar (Centennial Trees in Beykoz)
Beykoz is very rich in centennial trees. The most famous of these are the 250-year-old, 25-meter-tall Eastern Plane tree in Beykoz Park, the cedar tree in the garden of Beykoz Çocuk Göğüs Hastalıkları Hastanesi (Children’s Hospital), and the twin pistachio trees in Paşabahçe. Moreover, six of the fifteen plane trees located on the road to Akbaba village where the local bazaar is set on Saturdays are about 300 years old.

Among the Centennial Trees
Hürriyet, April 17, 2004
Cahit Akyol

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Pazars

It will be interesting to try the district “Pazar”s for your fruit and vegetable shopping. They provide a great deal of economy for your budget while they may be amusing. As we have mentioned before there is certainly a Pazar set once a week near your district. Pazar’s usually begin to be set at 9:00 and shopping is available until dark. You can have the freshest of all kinds of vegetables and fruits. Recently clothing, decorative accessories for the every corner of your house (bath, kitchen, living room, bedroom etc.) are being sold at very reasonable prices at Pazars besides food. Don’t get surprised when you see brands as Valentino, Paul and Shark, Polo, Ralph Lauren or Lacoste; they are all phony, anyhow it is obvious when you see the price. Let’s remind they are quite qualified and no one can easily understand the difference but keep in mind that no imitation can replace the original.

The most famous Pazars are;

• Salı Pazarı of Kadıköy (on Tuesdays, Salı means Tuesday),
• Çarşamba Pazarı of Fatih and Yeşilköy (on Wednesdays, Çarşamba means Wednesday), and
• Cumartesi Pazarı of Beşiktaş and Bakırköy on Saturdays, (Cumartesi means Saturday).

By the way you have already learned the days of the week without even spending slightest effort.

Let us remind you that since these pazars are very crowded take good care of your purse. There are intercity tours from the neighbor towns to Salı Pazarı of Kadıköy (from Izmit, Bursa, Balikesir the intercity busses carry housewives to Salı Pazarı and therefore they have a nice and amusing day.) Your Kapıcı exactly knows where and when the nearest Pazar is being set near your house. If you have a problem on this matter mymerhaba.com staff will try to help you.

Sabit Pazar
On many districts there are Sabit Pazars belonging to the Municipalities. These are small, covered streets having shops such as Manav, delicatessen, spirits and cigarettes, butcher, pastry, and there are several counters at which fish, chicken and eggs are sold. They are a little bit more expensive than the weekly set “Pazar”s but cheaper than the markets. They are closed once a month, for example every first Tuesday of the month. Of course these days are different for every district. Don’t be surprised by the number of cats you will see at these pazars, every Pazar has a registered population of cats since the food sold are very attractive to them!

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Open air Markets in Istanbul.
Istanbul is the city that has full of open air markets. These markets are opened daily in the residencial areas of the city in spesifi dates under the control of municipality.

These open air markets called ” Pazar ” are the main places that the locals go for shopping.
the prices there are more reasonable comparing to the big shopping markets and the food comes very fresh. In addition to the food locals people ” especially ladies “can find different clothes with economic prices between 10 – 40 YTL.

The oldest Markets in istanbul are; Spice market & Grand Bazar.

The Spice Bazaar, Mısır Çarşısı, Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey is one of the oldest bazaars in the city. Located in Eminönü, it is the second largest covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar. There are different accounts regarding the origin of the name of the bazaar. Various spices from the Orient were offered here in the past, Egyptian Bazaar was so named because the spices used to be imported from Egypt. On the other hand, in the Byzantine period, the site of the Spice Bazaar was the centre of corn trade.

The Spice Bazaar was designed by the chief court architect Koca Kasım Ağa, but completed by architect Mustafa in 1660.

In today’s istanbul; locals still use this two historic markets. In addition to that everyday in istanbul as we mentioned before you can see different open Market’s for each day. Some of them are ;

**Sali Pazari in Kadikoy ” Every Tuesday ”
** Sali Pazari in Sehremini ” Every Tuesday ”
** Carsamba Pazari in Fatih ” Every Wednesday ”
** Persembe Pazari in Ulus ( More Luxury ) ” Every Thursday ”
** Cuma Pazari in Findikzade ( most recommended ) ” Every Friday ”
** Cumartesi Pazari in Besiktas. ” Every Saturday ”

Idea : This is a speical tour that runs half day and upon special request. The tour starts first with meeting in Sultanahmet in our Gallery to warm up and give you the general overview. After that our staff will take you to the classical Spice market located in the sirkeci area. After going out of the Spice Market we will take you to the open air market just next to the Eminonu. After this visit; according to the day ( note that everyday in istanbul has different open markets in different locations. ) According to the chart above;
we will take you to the lovely open air markets for a visit. During this visit you will be inside the locals and see the part of the daily lifes of the people living in the city.

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Weekly Bazaars

Big and sterile shopping malls, online shopping, chic attractive stores lined up on both sides of the avenues… None of them can compete with weekly neighborhood Bazaars for Turks!

Bazaars are set up in almost every district on different days of the week. In addition to fresh vegetables and fruit, clothing, decorative accessories, antiques, stationery and many other things are sold at very reasonable prices. The Bazaars are open from 09:00 until dark. Recently, many stands have started to offer credit card facilities, which also increase interest in Bazaars.

The daily Hürriyet paper has formed a jury composed of celebrities who enjoy Bazaars, consumer columnists and representatives of consumer advocacy associations, and selected the best Bazaars in Turkey.

Kadıköy Salı Pazarı
Salı Pazarı was moved to Fikirtepe/Hasanpaşa in December 2008. This bazaar is set in an area of 39,000 sq.mt. on Tuesdays with 1900 stands. You can find anything at this Bazaar: famous brand textile products, shoes, food, artificial flowers, vitamins from the USA, carpets, white appliances, electronic products, domestic and foreign glassware, china and many more. Some have portable changing rooms and provide credit card facilities. Tours are organized from neighboring cities. There are  WCs and a kahve (coffee house), which is reserved for women on Tuesdays. Also gözleme and ayran stands are at the service of visitors.

Ulus Perşembe Pazarı
Not available anymore! Also called “High-Society Bazaar” among Istanbulites, it is famous for brand textile products, all of which are certainly fake. The Bazaar used to be held across from Akmerkez on Thursdays, but now it has moved to its new place behind the Dr. Aykut Park in Ulus; transportation still is provided from in front of Akmerkez. There are two portable WCs and two changing booths. The Bazaar holds 800 stands. Unfortunately, it is located on an uphill road and has no parking lot. Most stands accept credit cards.

Beşiktaş Cumartesi Pazarı
It is held on Saturdays on Nüzhetiye Caddesi just across from Ihlamur Pavilion and on the streets opening to the avenue. There are 400 stands mostly covering clothing, shoes, home textiles etc. The prices are reasonable and you can use credit cards at some stands. You can rest at the benches in the entrance and there is a place where you can eat gözleme.

Alaçatı Antika Pazarı
The Alaçatı Antiques Bazaar is located in Çeşme, Izmir together with an open market (halk pazarı) on an alley 1.5 km long. There is food and clothing from nearby villages. The inhabitants of İzmir boast “It is the only open market with an antique market in it. Besides antique goods this market offers plants, fish and even meat. “Antique dealers come from Izmir, Ankara, Bursa and the Greek Islands. They say you can find anything from cufflinks to suspending ceilings.

Bolu KöylüPazarı (Bolu villager market)
The market is held in the İhsaniye district of Downtown Bolu every Monday. About 600 villagers sell their products in a 1000 sq.mt area. The vendors are mostly women and the products they sell, such as vegetables, fruits and dairy, are all their own production and are grown naturally. Traditional tarhana (a dried foodstuff made chiefly from curds and flour used for making soup), erişte (noodles), butter, pekmez (grape molasses), tomato paste, dried fruits and village bread attract attention. We suggest you carry some change in your purse.

Yeşilköy Çarşamba Pazarı
It is set at Yeşilköy Çırpıcı, Istanbul in an area of 12000 sq.mt. There are 640 vendors with 2019 stands. Tours to the market are organized from neighboring cities on Wednesdays. It does not disturb the environment, since it is not located among the main streets – it is located at a walking distance for Yeşilköy inhabitants. There are toilets and a car parking lot. Food, clothing and glassware stands are set in different places. You can find anything from T-shirts to TVs and imported products.

Fatih Çarşamba Pazarı
The biggest Bazaar in Istanbul; Fatih pazarı is held on Wednesdays on seven avenues and seventeen streets. The number of vendors is 1297 and there are 4811 stands. Moreover, about 2500 peddlers sell their goods at this market. It is very crowded and you can find anything from vegetables to clothing, from flowers to porcelain. The market hosts customers who come from neighboring cities. Products from Bolu, Kastamonu and Thrace are also on display. Some vendors accept credit cards. Most stands selling clothing have changing booths. There are four mosques around the market whose WCs you can use. However, parking is a problem. It is open from 05:00 to 21:00. Sixteen big garbage trucks are in service to clean the market area afterwards.

Bodrum Mazı KöylüPazarı
This is the only villager bazaar on the Bodrum peninsula and is held at two locations: Aşağı Mazı and Yukarı Mazı in the Mumcular area. The distance between the two villages is 4 kilometers. There are 80 stands at Yukarı Mazı, while there are 60 stands at Aşağı Mazı. The salesmen from Bodrum, Milas, Yatağan and nearby villages bring fruits, vegetables and homemade products to sell. The Bazaar is 55 km. away from the Bodrum city center, however there are dolmuşes taking off every two hours. Handmade cloths, and carpets and kilims hand-woven in Bozalan, Mumcular and Türkevleri villages are also available. Since the fresh fruit and vegetables run out at noon, it is wise to visit the Bazar earlier.

Güzelyalı (Üçkuyular) Pazarı
Güzelyalı Pazarı is one of the oldest bazaars in Izmir and is held on Wednesdays and Sundays. It is referred to as “Üçkuyular Meydanı” (the square at which it is held) among the inhabitants of İzmir. Besides fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, fish, clothes, glassware are also available at 200 stands. Villagers from Çeşme, Urla and Karaburun also choose this bazaar to sell their products; however they usually come only on Wednesdays. Various herbs of the Aegean region are available in spring and fall.

Aşağı Ayrancı Pazarı
Aşağı Ayrancı Pazarı in Ankara is set on Dikmen Caddesi and is called “the high-society bazaar”. There is a wide range of products and the women almost “attack” this Pazar. It is open from 05:00 to 21:00.

http://www.istanbulpazarcilarodasi.com/pages/pazar.html

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