HISTORY OF SPICE BAZAAR

It’s known to many that the Spice Bazaar was originally titled “New Bazaar”. The structure was endowed to the New Mosque’s foundation, and it was entitled as the “Egyptian Bazaar” or Mısır Çarşısı since it was built with the revenue collected from the Ottoman Eyalet in 1660. Mısır in Turkish means both “Egypt” and “Maize” and hence the occasional incorrect translation as “Corn Bazaar.” This bazaar is the center of all the spice trade in Istanbul, but in the recent years more variety of shops have sprung up, replacing the original spice ones.

The building itself is a part of the complex of the New Mosque. The revenue stream of the rented shops inside the bazaar were used for the upkeep of the mosque.

It was designed by the architect Koca Kasım Ağa, but was constructed under the supervision of Mustafa Ağa in the last few months of 1660, following the Great Fire of Istanbul that began on the 24th of July 1660 rendering destruction to many neighbourhoods in the city. The construction of the New Mosque was resumed and was completed between 1660 and 1665. The New Mosque külliye, including the Spice Bazaar, were commissioned by Sultana Turhan Hatice, the Valide Sultan (Queen Mother) of Sultan Mehmed IV.

Visit our website for more info at http://zurna.ae/en

Dolmas - Zurna

To ‘be stuffed’ or not ‘to be stuffed’?

Turkish verb Dolmak “means to be stuffed” that transforms to the verbal noun ‘Dolma’… basically meaning stuffed thing. Its eaten either as a Mezze or a main dish, and can be cooked as a veggie or a meat dish. The meat version is usually served hot with yogurt and spices like oregano and red peppers with oil. Dolmas have a highly regarded spot in Turkish Cuisine.

The kind made with vine leaves stuffed with a rice-spice mixture and cooked with olive oil is called Zeytinyağlı dolma. These don’t contain meat and are sometimes referred to as ‘Sarma’, meaning ‘wrapping’ in Turkish. They are usually served cold. Meatless dolmas are referred to as ‘yalancı’, which means ‘fake’ dolma. Zeytinyağlı dolma from the Ottoman cuisine is usually sweeten by adding dried fruit like figs, cherries and cinnamon to the mixture. Vine leaves or yaprak filled with meat and rice are called etli yaprak sarma, usually served hot with yogurt. There are also some dessert sarma, like fistik sarma (wrapped pistachios).

Melon dolma along with quince or apple dolma was one of the palace’s specialties. Raw melon stuffed with minced meat, onion, rice, almonds and cooked in an oven. Contemporary dolma recipes constitute mainly of courgette (“kabak”), aubergine (“patlıcan”), tomato (“domates”), pumpkin (“balkabağı”), pepper (“biber”), cabbage (“lahana”) (black or white cabbage), chard (“pazı”) and mussel (“midye”). Palace cuisines have now started replacing dried cherries with currants that now constitute the fillings of dolmas cooked in olive oil. A different type of dolma is mumbar dolması, for which the membrane of intestines of sheep is filled up with a spicy rice-nut mixture.

For more info visit our website at http://zurna.ae/en/dolmas/