The bedesten ( el, μπεζεστένι, bezesteni) is an Ottoman enclosed market (''

bedesten A bedesten (variants: bezistan, bezisten, bedestan) is a type of covered market or market hall which was historically found in the cities of the Ottoman Empire. It was typically the central building of the commercial district of an Ottoman town or ...

'') in the city of

Larissa Larissa (; el, Λάρισα, , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 144,651 according to the 2011 census. It is also capital of the Larissa regiona ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

. The bedesten is located on the top of the

Frourio Hill The Frourio Hill () is the historical acropolis of the city of Larissa, Greece. It was the citadel of the city in antiquity as well as in Byzantine times, and features a number of important archaeological sites. The only height in the wider area ...

, the city's ancient

acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens, ...

, and was erected in the late 15th century. 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., at p. 311 It is an orthogonal building, whose southern, eastern, and western sides are decorated with monumental pointed arches. Its dimensions are 27 × 18 m. 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. Nineteen shops were located in vaulted rooms located around the central courtyard, mostly dealing in cloth and valuables. Until its destruction by fire in 1799 it served as the city's commercial heart, along with the adjacent open-air market and bazaar. the 17th-century traveller

Evliya Çelebi Derviş Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi ( ota, اوليا چلبى), was an Ottoman explorer who travelled through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years, recording ...

mentions the building, describing it as a "veritable fortress" and likening it to a citadel. Indeed, the Frourio ("Fortress") hill received its name from the bedesten. In the 19th century it was used as a

gunpowder magazine A gunpowder magazine is a magazine (building) designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications requ ...

. Today only the outer walls survive, and only the southern entrance is open. Prior to the opening of the

Diachronic Museum of Larissa The Diachronic Museum of Larisa ( el, Διαχρονικό Μουσείο Λάρισας) exhibits findings from the regional districts of Larissa, Trikala and Karditsa. Location The museum is located on the southeastern outskirts of Larissa on ...

in 2015, it was used to house the local Byzantine antiquities collection.

References

Buildings and structures in Larissa Ottoman architecture in Thessaly Market halls Commercial buildings completed in the 15th century 15th-century architecture in Greece {{Coord, 39, 38, 29.4, N, 22, 24, 57.0, E, display=title