When Cemil Ipekçi describes Istanbul’s Grand or ‘Covered’ Bazaar, his own colours mingle with those of this ‘timeless’ and enchanted space.

“The Covered Bazaar, a covered box”, said the modern Istanbul poet, Orhan Veli. Doesn’t life flow differently at the Grand Bazaar? In what other part of Istanbul, indeed in what other part of the world, can you find so many different times under a single roof? A rainbow of colours made up of crimsons, greens, purples; objects reflecting different beliefs and cultures. Every person who belongs to these lands can find a piece of himself in the Grand Bazaar’s labyrinthine streets. We would like to look at the Grand Bazaar from the perspective of the famous Turkish fashion designer, Cemil Ipekçi, who takes us on a journey through history’s multiple layers. A journey on which we are accompanied by magical spells, trees of life, needlework, and chintamani motifs.THE OTTOMAN SOUL
Our meeting place is the Fes Café, one of the Grand Bazaar’s modern venues.