Bedesten

As Besistan ( Bulgarian Безистен / Besisten; Turkish bedesten, also Bezistan ) is called an oriental market hall or an oriental store.

Their distribution in today's South-Eastern Europe is associated with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Even today, the name Besistan is used as a synonym for small department stores in some countries of Southeast Europe.

The Besistane were covered, closed at night and in many places multi-storey markets, similar to the Arabian Souq. There, the merchants had their shops and could interpret their goods for sale. The shops were usually supplemented by small craft. In Besistan each artisan group had an assigned place where only she could sell goods. However, it also happened that a craft operating his own Besistan, as in the case of Brusa Bezistans in Sarajevo, where only textiles were traded.

One of the first Besistane in the Ottoman Empire was built in 1461 during the reign of Mehmed II in Constantinople Opel. In it, rifles, knives and other weapons were sold primarily. Later another Besistan was built in the Ottoman capital, were to be found in the mainly luxury goods, including furs, vests, wallpaper, gems, china and silverware. In this second Besistan the French, English and Dutch merchants had their stalls.

From the 15th century the Besistane of Bitola, Shumen and Yambol are known. More Besistane are in Sarajevo, Edirne, Burgas, Belgrade and Skopje.

Source

• JG Krünitz: Article Besistan in Oekonomische Encyclopedia, Online Edition