Pabuççular Arastası

Pabuççular Arastası

Tradesmen affiliated with the Ahi organization, which had an important influence on the Turkification of Anatolia, were divided into various business lines. These lines of business were called guilds. Guild organizations that started to take shape in the 13th century were governed according to unwritten rules, that is, customs and traditions. Within the framework of these rules, honest tradesmen were raised and unfair competition was prevented. In addition, tradesmen were ensured to behave honestly to the public, and qualified production and consumption would be realized. The most well-known arenas of the Ottomans are in Istanbul and Edirne. Bergama Arasta was shaped according to the guild organization. There are different guilds called drawers, shoes, drapers, saddlers and grain shops in the middle. The arrangement of the shops is according to the squares formed around plane trees and important monumental structures. The oldest buildings in the middle are from the 19th century. The reason why this date cannot go back to earlier, is the great fire that broke out in the city in 1853, due to the short life of the materials and construction techniques used. It is known that around 400 shops were ashes in this fire. When the inscriptions of the shops that reached today are examined, it is understood that most of them were built after this fire.