The bedesten (Greek: μπεζεστένι, romanized: bezesteni) is an Ottoman enclosed market (bedesten) in the city of Larissa, Greece.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/%CE%9B%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%B1%2C_%CE%91%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%B9%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%82_%CF%87%CF%8E%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82_%CF%86%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%85%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%9C%CF%80%CE%B5%CE%B6%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%84%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B9_6.jpg/220px-%CE%9B%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%B1%2C_%CE%91%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%B9%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CF%82_%CF%87%CF%8E%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82_%CF%86%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%85%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%9C%CF%80%CE%B5%CE%B6%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%84%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%B9_6.jpg)
The bedesten is located on the top of the Frourio Hill, the city's ancient acropolis, and was erected in the late 15th century.[1] The earliest written testimony about its existence is in a register from 1506, where it is listed among the pious foundations of Gazi Ömer Bey.[2][3]
It is an orthogonal building, whose southern, eastern, and western sides are decorated with monumental pointed arches.[1] Its dimensions are 27 × 18 m.[3] The entrance was through a low gate on the northern side, leading to a small room, probably used as a treasury. This room was topped by six lead-covered domes, supported by two massive pillars.[1] Nineteen shops were located in vaulted rooms located around the central courtyard, mostly dealing in cloth and valuables.[1] Until its destruction by fire in 1799 it served as the city's commercial heart, along with the adjacent open-air market and bazaar.[1][2] the 17th-century traveller Evliya Çelebi mentions the building, describing it as a "veritable fortress" and likening it to a citadel.[2] Indeed, the Frourio ("Fortress") hill received its name from the bedesten.[4]
In the 19th century it was used as a gunpowder magazine.[1] Today only the outer walls survive, and only the southern entrance is open.[2] Prior to the opening of the Diachronic Museum of Larissa in 2015, it was used to house the local Byzantine antiquities collection.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Το Μπεζεστένι της Λάρισας" (in Greek). Larissa Ephorate of Antiquities. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "Μπεζεστένι". Municipality of Larissa Cultural Portal (in Greek). Municipality of Larissa. 17 November 2008. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ a b Eyice, Semavi (1992). "Bedesten" (PDF). İslâm Ansiklopedisi, Vol. 5 (Balaban - Beşir Ağa) (in Turkish). Istanbul: Turkiye Diyanet Vakfi. pp. 302–311., at p. 311
- ^ Sdrolia, Stavroula; Gialouri, Anna. "Αρχαιολογικός χώρος Φρουρίου Λάρισας" (in Greek). Greek Ministry of Culture. Retrieved 17 November 2018.