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Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar is one of the most bustling spots in one of the world’s greatest, busiest cities.
Close to 50 million people pass through the 21 gates of the venerable marketplace each year, and up to 500,000 per day during peak season.
This commercial center at the crossroads of Europe and Asia was established in 1461, and over the next two and a half centuries extended to a labyrinthine sprawl of 61 covered streets. There are more than 4,000 shops across 48,000 square meters — that’s the size of about five city blocks in Manhattan.
Traders deal in gold, jewels, leather, fur and spices, as they have done for centuries, and the cacophony raised by the thronging customers reaches to the heights of the hand-painted, vaulted ceilings.
However, through a discreet back door and up some steps, there’s another way to see this most visited of tourist attractions — a new and exclusive rooftop tour, which involves identity checks, waiver forms and safety guidance.
Bond at the Bazaar
The many red-tiled roofs of the bazaar — one for each shop — will be familiar to cinema audiences around the world after their star appearance in the epic opening chase sequence of the James Bond film “Skyfall,” from 2012.
As the suited spy, Daniel Craig raced a motorbike along the rooftop walkways that mirror the market’s streets below, but it’s a much quieter scene that greets us when we ascend to the rooftops on a clear, hot Friday afternoon in September.
Up here, we’re alone but for a reclining cat and the occasional seagull taking a rest from flying over the Bosphorus or the Marmara Sea.
Istanbul was the most touristed city in the world in 2023, attracting 20.2 million international visitors, but this is a view of the metropolis still only a select number have seen.
“The Grand Bazaar rooftop was once only accessible to shop owners. They’d go up there to make repairs before winter,” Elif Yildiz Güven, head of the Grand Bazaar’s board of directors, tells CNN. “Since 2020, the rooftop has been open to the public through registered travel agencies and licensed guides.”
However, tours are limited to just 10 people at a time in 20-minute slots, Monday to Saturday, and names and passport details need to be provided 24 hours in advance for safety and security reasons.
The restoration project
The roof has undergone a multimillion-dollar renovation since its appearance in “Skyfall,” with up to 100 workers a day busy across its vast expanse. Now, keeping the 800,000 tiles in excellent repair is an ongoing task.
“The rooftop hadn’t undergone significant restoration until 2016,” says Güven, but “restoring such an ancient and expansive marketplace isn’t a one-time affair. Istanbul has weathered many earthquakes, and remnants of the 1894 quake can still be seen.” That 1894 earthquake struck close to Istanbul, leaving hundreds dead and causing extensive damage.
“The red tiles were specially made for this project, designed in a semi-circle to help rainwater flow off easily,” she adds.
The bazaar’s original 15th and 16th century structures were built in wood, before one of several fires led to it being rebuilt in stone and brickwork.
We are stood in the central Fatih district on the European side of Istanbul and, gazing round, we can see Asia across the Bosphorus Strait and the seven hills upon which the ancient city of Constantinople was founded. The bazaar itself is on the slope of the third hill.
The tours last 20 minutes and, with your guide, you stroll along the walkways and steps previously only used by shop owners and maintenance workers. Running is not permitted, nor is walking along while filming — the risk of falling is high if you are not paying close attention.
“As you walk, you can spot Nur-u Osmaniye, Turkey’s only fully Baroque mosque. Then, the majestic Beyazit and Süleyman the Magnificent Mosques come into view,” says Güven.
Gold and jewels
We pause at 5 p.m. as the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, rings out across the city in a crescendo of overlapping melodies, a sound that is heard five times a day.
“You can also see the fire watch tower and many other historical buildings, and if your eyesight is sharp, you might even catch a glimpse of the Galata Tower.” she adds. The 14th century fortification is one of Istanbul’s well-known landmarks.
Below us, the market is thronged with harvest season visitors, the busiest time on the bazaar’s calendar.
Traditionally at harvest time, “people start to marry their boys and girls,” explains tour guide Barış Partal, and wedding preparations begin. “Here is the place you should buy the gold with best price.”
With so much precious gold beneath us, “safety is very important,” says Partal. “That’s why they have to record every single person’s name, surname, passport number, just in case.”
There is also the “highly valuable stone business, like emerald, ruby, diamond, not just gold.”
The Central Market was the first part of the bazaar to be built, with a second market constructed a few decades later. “The bazaar area is getting bigger, sometimes getting smaller throughout history because of earthquakes and fires,” says Partal.
The markets’ proximity to the port allowed them to become commercial hubs. “Each street was dedicated to a specific trade, making it easy for visitors to find what they needed,” says Güven.
It was built shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople and is one of the world’s earliest precursors to the shopping mall and one that’s been thriving for five centuries.
To find out more about availability of registered tours, contact the Grand Bazaar through its website or Instagram. Tour prices vary but are available on demand.
