THE GRAND BAZAAR
ISTANBUL, TURKEY
Image Number 439
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it is listed No.1 among world's most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. Today the Grand Bazaar is a thriving complex, employing 26,000 people. It must compete with modern shopping malls common in Istanbul, but its beauty and fascination represent a formidable advantage. Terrorism aside, it is one of the safest environments imaginable. The site is so vast and the exits so few that a thief would be unlikely to outpace the hue and cry, with inevitable consequences.
TECHNICAL NOTES
The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/6th of a second and aperture F6.3. 45mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.