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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Francisco Seco

PHOTO ESSAY: Behind Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, a world of artisans endures

Turkey Artisans Photo Essay - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

For centuries, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar has been more than a marketplace. Behind its crowded passageways, generations of craftspeople have made, repaired and restored the objects that eventually emerge for sale.

In workshops and in narrow streets surrounding the bazaar, casters shape molten metal over fire. Engravers add detail. Polishers bring finished pieces to a shine. A single object can pass through several specialists before reaching a merchant’s counter.

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