Iranian folklore

As Valentine's Day approaches, Nişantaşı, a vibrant district in Istanbul, is abuzz with a unique bazaar that offers a quirky twist on the holiday of love where individuals sell items once belonging to or gifted by their ex-lovers.

The restoration and strengthening works against possible earthquake risk in Istanbul's historic Grand Bazaar, which have been going on for about three years, have mostly come to an end.

The German Christmas Bazaar will be opened today at 6 pm in the City Garden in the capital, Teodora Breme, manager of the company, organizer of the bazaar, told BTA.

A bazaar, which is run solely by women vendors, is set up twice a month in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri.

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"We open the bazaar in the Talas district on the first and the third Sunday of every month," Sema Karaoğlu, the head of Women Cooperation Development Association (KİGDER), told the state-run Anadolu Agency on Aug. 6.

Located in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, the Rampalı Bazaar is famous for its second-hand booksellers and music stores as well as draws the attention of visitors with its vintage ambiance and extraordinary architecture.

The bazaar, which lies close to the city center, brings book lovers, students, academics, musicians and music lovers together under the same roof.

The historical Grand Bazaar opened its doors to visitors on June 1 as part of the country's normalization phase, having longed for its old crowded and busy days since being shuttered on March 24.

"We have slowed down economically over nearly three months [amid the pandemic] but with God's help and the people's unity we will move forward and our economy will rise again," Istanbul governor Ali Yerlikaya said at the ceremony, Anadolu Agency reported.

An eerie silence has fallen over Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, one of the world's oldest, largest and most visited markets, where a raucous mixture of languages, cultures and commerce has buzzed for centuries.

Turkey's historical Kemeraltı Bazaar, and its surrounding area, has been added to the temporary UNESCO World Heritage List.

The vibrant bazaar in the Aegean city of İzmir dates back to the 17th century. For tourists, it is a smaller version of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.

The historical Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest surviving shopping centers in the world, has been largely deserted for the last 10 days due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, shopkeepers have complained.

The covered market shops made a good start in 2020, said Hasan Fırat, the head of the shopkeepers' association at the Grand Bazaar.