BAZAARS OF ISTANBUL

Fabulously expensive artefacts in gold and precious metals jostle with expensive fakes and colourful tat in these 300 sumptuous photographs which take the viewer into the heart of the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. The city of Istanbul has long been a cultural melting pot, situated at the meeting of east and west, and the Grand Bazaar is the perfect reflection of this, with merchandise including ceramics, carpets, textiles, calligraphy, antiques, metalwork, leather goods, designer fakes (who needs the real thing?), and recreational and wellbeing products such as "black gold and blue smoke". Nearby are the Book Bazaar and the Egyptian Bazaar specialising in spices and dried fruits. Started by Sultan Mehmet II following his conquest in 1453, the Grand Bazaar has been a communal hub for 500 years, and has withstood natural disasters such as earthquakes and fires. Nightwatchmen keep the goods safe overnight. Income from the Bazaar was used to build the mosque complex which surrounds it, including those built by the 17th century Turhan Hatice Sultan, a woman who intrigued her way to power and became the effective ruler. Each page opens up something more extraordinary than the last. Behind the scenes we see dilapidated inner courtyards with rickety steps, corrugated drainage pipes of huge diameter, chains, furnaces and all the paraphernalia of a building site. A man at a stall stands surrounded by piles of household textiles towering above him. Carpets range from flatweave Anatolian coverings created by nomads to the elaborate knotted-pile decorative rugs highly prized in the west. A gold merchant might transact 25 million dollars in a day. You can almost smell the foodstuffs such as coffee, tea, and tobacco, while the photos of fabric stalls are among the most striking with their bright colours and patterns. Musical instruments, lamps, weapons and hookahs are all jumbled gloriously together on the antique stalls. An incredible feast for the eyes, with interesting historical commentary and 30 recipes for authentic Turkish food. 224pp, 300 stunning colour photos. The Grand Bazaar or Kapaliçarsi; The Spice Market or Misir Çarsisi; The Book Bazaar or Sahaflar Çarsisi ? The Bazaar ? A Mosaic: Commerce and Trade; The Buildings; The People The Treasures: Gold; Ceramics; Carpets; Textiles; Leather; Old and Curious Stuff; Silver, Copper and Brass; Calligraphy and Miniatures; Counterfeits; The Afghan Street; Belief and Superstition; Purification of Body and Soul; Stimulants; Culinary Delights.
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