Great bazaars and what you need to know about them

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The word bazaar conjures up images of rows and rows of stands filled with the most exotic and hard to find merchandises you can imagine, of lush silks, beautiful woven carpets, little wonders made of ceramic, the glint of precious metals and the alluring aroma of spices. The concept of bazaar was introduced by the ancient Persians, and since then it has spread to many regions in the world.

As opposed to the American bazaars (charity rummage sales), the genuine bazaar is an open marketplace where you can find anything and everything. If you happen to visit North Africa, India, Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey or Syria, for example, a trip to the bazaar might ensure that you go home not only with some great memories, but some rare keepsakes as well.

Grand Bazaar, Ürümqi, China

It might seem strange to find a traditional Islamic-style bazaar in China, but the Grand Bazaar is grand indeed, so grand that it’s the largest bazaar in the world. The Grand Bazaar mixes beautiful Islamic architecture with ethnic goods, and it was inspired by the prosperity of the Silk Road.

Islam is the dominant religion in the region, and the bazaar was built precisely to showcase the ethnic characteristics of the region and the contemporary spirit of Ürümqi.

Tabriz Bazaar, Tabriz, Iran

The Tabriz Bazaar is one of the oldest bazaars in the world, and also the largest covered bazaar you can find anywhere. In fact, the building is so beautiful that it became a World heritage Site.

The bazaar consists of several sections, each focusing on a type of merchandise, for example the Amir Bazaar (for gold and jewelry) or the Mozzafarieh (a carpet bazaar). The bazaar has been functioning foe centuries, and not even the newly built malls and shopping centers couldn’t change the fact that the bazaar is the economic “heart” of the city.

Dordoy Bazaar, Bishnek, Kyrgyztan

The Dordoy Bazaar cannot boast of any particular beauties, but it is nonetheless one of the largest and most active bazaars in Asia. Dordoy has been described as a “modern monument to the power of raw commerce”, despite the fact that is was thrown together using double-stacked shipping containers.

Dordoy is mainly a wholesale market, and it is made up of several ‘thematic’ bazaars that eventually merged together. There’s a market for consumer goods, electronic appliances, automotive supplies, construction materials, but no produce, only some food stands catering to vendors and buyers.

Old Bazaar, Skopje, Macedonia

With the exception of the Istanbul bazaar, this is the largest bazaar in Eastern Europe. Like the name says, the bazaar is really old, established around the 12th century, and it flourished especially during the Ottoman rule.

The bazaar used to be a bustling trade center, with dozens of mosques and caravanserais, and while it isn’t the economic center of the city, it is still very popular. This bazaar is also a great sightseeing spot, since there are plenty of things to see there: the Mustafa Pasa Mosque, St. Spas Church, the Kale Fortress of the Stone Bridge.

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