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Kirkkasik Bedesten

This 16th-century covered market is still open everyday.

Tarsus, Turkey

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Baris Akkurt
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside   dbarisakkurt / Atlas Obscura User
Kirkkasik Bedesten entrance from east   dbarisakkurt / Atlas Obscura User
Kirkkasik Bedesten entrance from west   dbarisakkurt / Atlas Obscura User
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Since 16th century Turkey, this covered market has been bustling with vendors and eager customers. Built in 1519, Kirkkasik Bedestenb can be considered a small version of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Also known as White Bazaar, Kirkkasik Bedesten is a rectangular building with seven domes on its roof. Inside, it has 21 rooms that serve as shops.

The building was renovated in the 1960s and 2000s, and is now open to the public. Today, Bedesten is one of the few remaining examples of medieval Turkish architecture in Tarsus. Visitors can still find a variety of shops and cafes serving local Tarsusi coffee in the bedesten.

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Bedesten is free to visit and is open everyday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m..

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Published

May 1, 2025

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