Travelling Worm

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 36-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC dipped our toes into the Brand Bazaar, a large covered market in Istanbul. We visited approximately six of the bazaar’s 61 covered streets. So, that leaves a few to explore in our next visit.

Word of the day

Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. It comes from the flower of a lily, Crocus sativus. To produce the spice, people collect and dry the stigma and styles (threads) from the flower and heat them on a sieve. Most saffron is produced in Iran.

The book I’m in

Live Wire, by Harlan Coben. This worm enjoys the no-frills style of this author’s prose. The style contrasts nicely with the tangled web of family intrigue and big-world evil that reader and hero have to weave their way through together.

The photos

Me at an entrance to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul:

The road leading to the entrance features a row of character-filled buildings:

Ancient and modern combine – the shop to the left of the market entrance advertises Bitcoin:

Inside the Grand Bazaar:

Construction of the Grand Bazaar started in 1455, making it one of the oldest covered markets in the world. People continued adding shops and sections to the market over the years. By the beginning of the 17th century, the market had more or less the same shape as it does now.

Saffron, spices, and Turkish Delight add to the colour and smells:

Arches receding into the distance, topped by a small window to let in air and light:

People enjoying refreshments and a break in older part of the market:

The bazaar offers more than 4,000 shops in 61 covered streets. Sections of the market have different characteristics. In the next photo, the ceiling is higher and darker, with the shops perched in glass boxes below it:

That’s all for today, folks.