The magical world of the Grand Bazaar was shaped not only by its vaulted streets and valuable merchandise, but also by the masters, goldsmiths, jewelers, and merchants who worked within it. Colorful fabrics, carpets emerging from the dim light, sellers calling out to customers, and jewels concealed inside modest shops created the distinctive atmosphere of this vast commercial center. Armenian goldsmiths in the Grand Bazaar, together with other artisans, were among the essential elements of its commercial and cultural life.
The Historical Structure of the Grand Bazaar
Surviving from the Ottoman period to the present day, the Grand Bazaar has a history of nearly six centuries and has long been one of the centers of Istanbul’s commercial life. At different times, it was known by names such as Bezzâzistan, Bedesten, Çarşu-yı Kebir, and Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı). Its original core consisted of two bedestens constructed during the reign of Sultan Mehmed. Over time, it expanded through the addition of shops, streets, and khans.
Bezzâzistan-ı Atik, known as the Old Bedesten, later became known as the Cevahir Bedesteni, or Jewelry Bedesten. The New Bedesten came to be called the Sandal Bedesteni. These protected structures developed into centers where valuable fabrics, jewelry, precious stones, and various commercial goods were stored and sold.
The Magical Atmosphere of the Grand Bazaar
The appearance of the Grand Bazaar occupied an important place in the accounts of Western travelers. Colorful textiles suspended from ropes by cloth merchants, carpets and prayer rugs with varied patterns, the limited light entering through a small number of windows, and the flickering flames of oil lamps illuminated the interior. The voices of sellers accompanied this visual richness.
One of the bazaar’s most striking characteristics was the contrast between the simplicity of its shops and the value of the merchandise kept inside them. Until the changes of the nineteenth century, shops generally consisted of raised wooden bedsteads. There were no glass display windows, elaborate signs, or ornamented façades. Shopkeepers sat in front of small shelves and cabinets fixed to the walls, showing their most valuable pieces only to serious prospective buyers.
Armenian Masters and the Master and Apprentice Tradition
Goldsmithing and jewelry production required intensive labor, and the Armenian workforce already established in Istanbul could not meet this demand alone. Young Armenians arriving from different parts of Anatolia began working in the Grand Bazaar and the khans surrounding it. Their first destinations were often the bachelor rooms found in these buildings.
The Armenian blacksmiths working in Büyük Valide Han selected the apprentices they needed from among the young Armenians who had arrived from Anatolia. Within the traditions of the Grand Bazaar, the tools used by masters were later passed down to their apprentices, helping to ensure the continuity of both the craft and the workshop. An 1869 report states that Armenians occupied twenty-nine of the thirty-six rooms reserved for bachelors in a han located in the district of hans surrounding the Grand Bazaar.
In this respect, the Grand Bazaar was not merely a centre of production and commerce; it was also a space where professional knowledge was transmitted from master to apprentice and newly arrived craftsmen were integrated into Istanbul’s working life.
The Rise of Armenian Goldsmiths in the Grand Bazaar
The presence of Armenian masters in the Grand Bazaar can be clearly traced by the seventeenth century. Evliyâ Çelebi records that Aydın Ermeni, or Aydın the Armenian, one of the skilled engravers of his time, practised his craft in front of the Cevahir Bedesteni.
During the second half of the eighteenth century, Armenian goldsmiths and craftsmen became increasingly prominent in the Grand Bazaar. By the end of the century, Armenians constituted the great majority of its goldsmiths. From the reign of Abdülhamid I onward, they are described as having achieved a particularly influential position in the bazaar’s goldsmithing and jewellery trades.
This continuity was founded on the careful training of young craftsmen and the establishment of new workshops according to defined professional rules. It was generally accepted that rapid advancement was not possible in goldsmithing and jewelry, and apprentices were expected to undergo a long period of training.
Çuhacı Khan and the Goldsmith Workshops
The khans in and around the Grand Bazaar formed the connection between production and sales. Goldsmiths, lapidaries, engravers, gilders, and setters worked in workshops located inside the khans, while the objects they produced were offered for sale in the shops lining the bazaar’s streets.
Çuhacı Khan became one of the symbolic centers in which Armenian goldsmiths were concentrated. Among the well-known Istanbul goldsmiths recorded in 1861, names associated with Çuhacı Khan included Stepan Abdullahian, Hagop Aznavur, Sarkis Tchiradjian, Hovhannes Keleci, and Artin Sakaian.
A remarkable document from this commercial milieu is the trade card of the Armenian jeweller Maksud Shahbazian, printed in four languages: Ottoman Turkish, Armenian, French, and Greek. The card indicates that Shahbazian’s jewellery and silverware shop was located in Çuhacı Khan.
In Jewelry and Armenian Goldsmiths under the Ottomans, we bring into view not only the jewels but also the masters who created them. We follow the names and professional roles of goldsmiths from different periods, the khans in which they worked, and the objects they produced. In doing so, we bring renewed attention to the labor, craftsmanship, and human stories behind each work.
Atanik Agha’s Hidden Treasure
Atanik Agha was one of the figures who embodied the world of the Grand Bazaar’s goldsmiths. His shop was narrow, dim, and devoid of ostentation. Instead of large showcases or elaborate furniture, it contained a wooden table, a small safe, and a simple place to sit.
Yet when this small and unassuming safe was opened, it revealed rubies, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and white pearls. Atanik Agha welcomed his customers with conversation and refreshments. During the summer, he ordered lemonade and sherbet from the nearby Armenian sherbet seller.
Much of the Grand Bazaar’s enchantment lay in this contrast. Jewels of immense value were kept inside modest shops, while commerce was conducted through expertise, trust, hospitality, and personal relationships. The wealth of the bazaar was expressed not through ornate façades or ostentatious windows, but through the variety, abundance, and value of the goods concealed within.
The professional traditions of Armenian goldsmiths in the Grand Bazaar, their workshops in the khans, the historical documents connected with them, and the surviving works can only be outlined here. Many more masters, goldsmith families, visual sources, and archival documents are examined in detail in Jewelry and Armenian Goldsmiths under the Ottomans.