Powerful Scent: The Spice Market

The Culinary Arts Center hosted architect and Turkish coffee and food culture researcher Nihal Bursa for a seminar on “The Powerful Scent: Spice Market.” The seminar focused on the 350-year-old commercial district called the Spice Market (a.k.a. The Egyptian Bazaar), its architecture, history and the changes that took place over the years in the types of merchandise and stores located inside the market place.

Mrs. Bursa started her speech by explaining, what the Spice Market means to her and its importance in the times that it was built.

“According to the market management and the professional guides, tourists really love this market. Compared to the Grand Bazaar it is the right size to get a hold of everything. It is called Spice Market; but one can find all types of spices, natural remedies, plant seeds, plant root and barks, deli items, dried fruits and nuts and some other types of foodstuff. There are other types of merchandise as well such as souvenirs, jewelry, textiles, and towels. It is very inviting for anyone who is interested in history, food, and culture…

For the locals, Spice Market and the surrounding Eminönü area is considered as a district where one can find anything for an affordable price because this is the trade center for all the wholesalers. Most of the merchandise gets shipped all over Turkey from this very location.  

Based on a large number of traders found here, the Spice Market holds an important economic power that is measurable and expressed by the economical jargon.  There is an aura that is created by the architecture, characteristic and feeling of the space, the way shopkeepers greet you, the routine of the market place, circulation and the romance of spice and mythical world. The feeling the market gives off is not tangible and cannot be explained by any numeric values.

The market is located in a very important part of the city. When it was built, it was the largest construction of the Mediterranean region that is located by the shore. The land facing the Golden horn is very precious. It was built as the social complex of the Yeni Mosque under very difficult conditions.”

Mrs. Bursa throughout her lecture showed various images of the Spice Market. At the end of the seminar, the participants had a chance to taste some of the classical Ottoman dishes, prepared with ingredients purchased at the Spice Market.

27 May 2015 

The lecture video is in Turkish.