Tourists watch Istanbul from the renovated roof of the Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar, one of the world's largest and oldest covered markets, continues to be a popular destination for tourists with its historical texture and vibrant commercial life.

With approximately 45 thousand square meters of indoor space, 3 thousand 600 shops, 22 gates, and 14 inns, the Grand Bazaar, which resembles a giant labyrinth with its architecture, now allows both domestic and foreign tourists to discover Istanbul from a different perspective through special tours organized on its renovated roof.

Tourists from all over the world, who enjoy the unique view of the city and the Bosphorus from the paths on the roof known as the "cat walk", share the images they capture on their social media accounts with tags such as "Grand Bazaar", "Süleymaniye", "Istanbul", and "Eminönü".

Thus, these roofs of the Grand Bazaar contribute to the global recognition of the historical structure.

Fatih Kurtulmuş, Chairman of the Board of the Grand Bazaar Property Owners Association, stated in his announcement that the idea of rooftop tourism emerged alongside the bazaar's restoration process.

Stating that the restoration is not yet fully complete, Kurtulmuş said, "After the restoration of the roof was finished, the idea of sharing this beauty with our people and our tourists was strongly voiced among our colleagues. The idea of presenting this area to the outside world and to our country with an orderly and beautiful impression prevailed. We took action upon this. We proceeded after establishing the necessary rules and regulations."

Explaining that despite the Grand Bazaar being a world-renowned location, the roof becoming more organized and visible after the restoration has provided a great contribution to the country, Kurtulmuş said, "The fact that people can see the roof of this 563-year-old historical bazaar, which was built in 1461, has had a huge impact on the global recognition and awareness of this structure. Every tourist who came was satisfied. Because they found the opportunity to see Istanbul from a different perspective. They left by thanking us," he stated.

Kurtulmuş stated that children under the age of 15 and adults over the age of 80 are not permitted on the tours organized on the roof paths, and that individual insurance is provided for tourists before they go up.

Emphasizing that the roof tours, which are organized through agencies, take place in groups of ten and last twenty minutes each, Kurtulmuş noted that they have received positive feedback regarding the project.

Kurtulmuş stated, "Tourists who come visit see the roof, and they also shop in our bazaar. The fees officially collected from here are used for the restoration of our Grand Bazaar."

Emphasizing that the Grand Bazaar hosted 44 million visitors last year and that their target is 50 million tourists, Kurtulmuş noted that many tourists also tour the bazaar's roof.