Şanlıurfa Covered Bazaar and Coppersmiths

The Şanlıurfa Covered Bazaar is a labyrinthine web of markets and caravanserais in the historic core of the city, stretching just northeast of the Balıklıgöl axis, where uninterrupted trade has continued for centuries.

History & Architecture

Its nucleus is the Bedesten, built in 1562 immediately south of the Gümrük Han by Behram Pasha, governor of Urfa, during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent; the building appears as 'Bezzazistan' in the 1740 endowment deed of Rızvan Ahmet Pasha and is popularly known as the 'Kazaz Bazaar' in reference to its historic silk-thread craft. The Bedesten links the whole fabric through doors opening onto the four surrounding markets: the Gümrük Han to the north, the Koltukçu (saddler) market to the south, the Hanönü bazaar to the east and the Sipahi market to the west. Vaulted arcaded lanes of cut stone, tunnel-like passages and courtyard Ottoman hans make it one of Anatolia's most authentic covered trading quarters.

Crafts & Shopping

Its cultural importance lies in the survival of living crafts: in the Coppersmiths' Bazaar masters hammer beaten-copper pots, trays and coffee pots into shape, while kazaz artisans weave silk tassels and prayer beads; isot sellers offer the city's geographically protected chili pepper, and spice merchants sell pomegranate molasses and tahini. Its tourist value is high, being the region's liveliest place to buy handmade copper, silk, isot and prayer beads, and offering photographers an incomparable street texture.

Visiting & Access

Agencies add it to nearly every city-centre tour because it lies within walking distance of Balıklıgöl, the Dergah and the museums, naturally accommodates a lunch and mırra or menengiç coffee break, and delivers a rich experience at low cost. The average visit runs from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours; in guided programmes it usually follows the museums and Balıklıgöl as an afternoon stop or an early-evening pause before the Sıra Gecesi gathering. The best photo spots are the coppersmiths' benches, the Bedesten's vaulted interior lanes and the plane-tree courtyard of the Gümrük Han.

Access is easy: because the bazaar is pedestrianised, tour coaches park at the Balıklıgöl-Dergah car parks or the nearby Piazza mall car park, and groups walk down to the bazaar in a few minutes. Parking is limited to municipal lots and the mall but is adequate. Disabled access is partly challenging; historic cobblestones and narrow, sloping lanes hinder wheelchairs, though the main axis and han courtyards are largely level. The best season to visit is spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October); on summer middays the vaulted lanes stay cool but the wider city is very hot. Peak season falls on spring and autumn weekends, religious holidays and school breaks, when the Balıklıgöl-Dergah-bazaar axis fills with domestic visitors. Recommended route: the Archaeology and Haleplibahçe Mosaic museums in the morning, then Balıklıgöl-Dergah-Castle, an Urfa-cuisine lunch, and closing the day with shopping through the Gümrük Han into the Bedesten and Coppersmiths' Bazaar.