Amasya's present-day bazaar is not a single covered building. The shops along Atatürk Avenue, the vaulted sections of the Bedesten, the courtyard of the Taşhan and the narrow lanes around the Coppersmiths' Bazaar join together to form the city's commercial axis. Shopping here runs on two levels. On one side are the coppersmiths, blacksmiths, carpenters and weavers who still work; on the other are regional products protected by geographical indication certificates. The long history of the crafts and the Ottoman-era bazaar order are treated in separate articles; this one describes what can be found where today and by what criteria each product is defined.

Districts of the Bazaar

A walk through the city centre usually begins at the square where the Atatürk Monument stands. Past the Gümüşlü Mosque and the Pir Mehmet Çelebi Mosque, on the western side of Atatürk Avenue, just behind the Kileri Süleyman Ağa Mosque (1489), stands the Taşhan. Sources give the date of the caravanserai differently. By one account it was built in 1699 by the mutasarrıf Rahtuvan Hacı Mehmet Pasha, with Mimar Mehmet Kalfa as architect; by another, the two-storey, 34-room building was raised in 1758 by the Rahtuvans, one of Amasya's established families. Both accounts tie the building to the same family. Above the main entrance, which projects outward, is the inscription of the han, and shops line both sides of the gate. Inside is a wide courtyard, and the upper floor rests on the arches of that courtyard. The restoration was completed at the end of 2012; part of the building is now used as a hotel and restaurant, while working shops continue around it. Among the carpenters and metalworkers spread through the courtyard is also a samovar workshop.

The area around the Taşhan is where copperwork is concentrated in Amasya. The Coppersmiths' Bazaar lies on Arasta Sokağı, and on Torumtay Avenue rows of shops sell samovars in many models. Handmade samovar production is especially widespread in this bazaar. Together with the streets around the Burmalı Minare Mosque (1242) behind the Taşhan, this stretch is also where Amasya's everyday trade can be observed; the tradesmen do not sell only souvenirs to visitors but also supply the kitchen and tea needs of local people.

On the opposite side of Atatürk Avenue, facing the Kileri Süleyman Ağa Mosque, stands the Bedesten. It was built in 1483 by Hüseyin Ağa, chief gatekeeper (kapı ağası) to Bayezid II; the same man was the founder of the octagonal Büyükağa Madrasa of 1488. In its original form the Bedesten was a rectangular, six-domed building, and because it was larger than comparable examples it is regarded as a variation within its type. It was heavily damaged in the earthquake of 1668 and went unrepaired for a long time. In 1865, during works begun under the governorship of the poet Ziya Pasha, the dome, stripped of its lead covering, was pulled down and the building was closed over with a roof, which itself collapsed some time later. The building was restored faithfully to its original form by the General Directorate of Foundations in 1971. Of its original state, the body walls and the inscription dated 1483 survive, and shops operate inside.

On the far bank of the river, around Hatuniye and Yalıboyu, the atmosphere of the bazaar changes. Shopping here is limited mostly to galleries, a mansion museum and small shops inside historic houses. According to older guide records, antique dealers sell objects collected from villages, such as carpets, kilims, chests, copperware, saddlebags and embroidered kerchiefs; some of these shops were gathered near the Taşhan, others outside the city on the Samsun road.

Copper and the Samovar

The best-known product of the bazaar is copper. Samovars, embossed plates, bowls, sugar bowls, coffee pots (cezve) and coffee sets are the items visitors choose most often. Because the patterns on a copper plate are worked by hand-hammering, no two pieces come out identical. In vessels meant for use, the inside of the copper is tinned; a vessel that has darkened or whose tin has worn can be taken to a craftsman and made bright again. Bazaar tradesmen say that demand for pieces prepared by hand rather than factory-made has risen in recent years. Different sizes are sold, from small decorative samovar models to large samovars suited to daily use.

The samovar is the principal utensil of tea culture in Amasya. Local production is said to go back to the 1800s. The handicrafts record of the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism likewise states that samovar making developed as a practical matter because of the local habit of drinking tea, and that samovars are made in different sizes; the record calls the samovar a tin one, whereas the products in the bazaar are mostly copper.

The Amasya Samovar was registered as a geographical indication of the indication-of-source type on 21 December 2022 (registration no. 1298). The application was filed by the Amasya Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 4 October 2021. According to the definition, the samovar is produced by hand in Amasya province, for brewing tea, from copper or tin sheets 0.40 or 0.60 mm thick. Two sizes are defined: a large samovar about 50 cm high with a capacity of 4.5 to 5 litres, and a small one about 35 cm high with a capacity of 1.5 to 2.5 litres. The structure has three main parts: a supporting foot at the bottom, a cylindrical body resting on the foot, and, continuing from the body, the section that holds the teapot, called the "demkeş" locally. A portable chimney strengthens the fire; some models have a steam vent with a whistle that can be fitted to it, and some samovars have two demkeş sections. In the centre are the grate and pipe that heat the water, around them the water reservoir, on top a cylindrical lid and below a tap; round ventilation openings are cut around the foot.

The registration text describes production in eleven steps. Depending on the size of the samovar, a sheet of 65 x 65 cm or 50 x 50 cm is cut, and the shapes of the parts are drawn on the sheet with a template and cut out. On the upper body the edges are bent and soldered, and the sheet for the demkeş and middle body is bent, patterned and soldered. The base, lower body, middle body and upper body are joined with fitting and soldering techniques; the water-reservoir inlet, the lid with its handle and the steam vent are added afterwards, and a whistle is fitted if desired. All stages of production must be carried out within the provincial boundary. Inspection takes place once a year and also on complaint; it is run under the coordination of the Amasya Chamber of Commerce and Industry by a four-person board made up of one expert each from the Chamber, the Yeşilırmak Basin Development Association, the Faculty of Architecture of Amasya University and the Amasya Tourism Association. The inspection looks at the suitability of the sheet, the production method and the correct use of the wording and emblem. For the buyer this means that a product bearing the words "Amasya Semaveri" has been made within the province according to these rules.

Other Handicrafts in the Bazaar

Of the handicrafts other than copper, some are visible in the bazaar and some remain in villages and workshops. According to the records of the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, carpet and kilim weaving continues in the town of Yassıçal and the village of Sarıyar. In the Merzifon area, sheets, tablecloths and peştamal (bath wraps) are woven on looms called "kamçılı tezgâh". Needle lace (iğne oyası) is common throughout the region; besides edging headscarves it is also used in lapel flowers, handkerchiefs, scarves and coin purses. Woodworking covers the making of musical instruments such as the saz, oud and kanun, as well as various farm tools and household goods. In the Gümüşhacıköy area, sacks, kilims, saddlebags, bags and ropes of various thicknesses are made from yarn called "kırnap", spun from hemp or goat hair. Hot ironwork produces tools such as axes, hatchets, chopping axes, trivets and knives.

The carved wooden goods, regional weavings and handmade Amasya dolls in local dress sold in the bazaar are the souvenir extension of these crafts. Applications for geographical indications have been made for Merzifon Weaving, Gediksaray Weaving and Yassıçal Çuha Weaving; in the January 2023 announcement they still appear unresolved.

Amasya Misket Apple

The Amasya Misket Apple is the city's best-known agricultural product protected by a geographical indication. It was registered on 14 March 2019 as a designation of origin (registration no. 424). The application is dated 8 January 2016 and was filed by the Amasya Provincial Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Livestock. The geographical area comprises the districts of Amasya Central, Suluova, Merzifon, Gümüşhacıköy, Hamamözü, Taşova and Göynücek. The registration document also relays a find bearing on the antiquity of apple growing in the province: in rescue excavations by the Black Sea Archaeology Research Centre of Hitit University, a mosaic floor with an apple-tree motif, dated to the Roman period and estimated to be about 2,000 years old, was found in the village of Yavru in the Central district.

The distinguishing features of the apple are set out in detail in the document. The fruit is medium-sized with a broad belly, and its skin is thin, firm and waxy. The sides exposed to sun are dark and glossy, the other parts light red, here and there on a bright green ground colour. The flesh is slightly greenish white, sweet, juicy and crisp, with a strong, distinctive musky scent. The core has five chambers and is star-shaped. Harvest takes place in the second half of September or early October, and fruit kept in good conditions lasts until May. Farmers also store apples on the lower floors of their houses, in places called "kara depo" (earth stores); the waxy layer on the surface of the skin extends shelf life.

The relation of scent and colour to climate is also explained in the document. Amasya's altitude varies from about 411 to 1,150 metres, the climate is transitional between the Black Sea and Central Anatolia, and the Yeşilırmak valley creates a breeze through the narrow gorge; the document stresses that this microclimate contributes to the apple's distinctive scent and aroma. The period in which colour and firmness become pronounced in the fruit is 15 September to 30 October. Dew falling, followed by exposure to sunlight, gives the apple its bright red colour. The Misket apple needs a high amount of winter chilling; according to the document its requirement is 2,536 hours, and Amasya's 1970-2014 average is 2,526 hours. For the last five years the average yield per tree is given as 92.4 kg in Amasya, against 49.6 kg as the national average for similar varieties.

In the bazaar and at neighbourhood markets, apples are sold fresh, and one also meets apple tea, jam, pickles, compote and hoşaf (fruit drink). Packaged apple tea is found at many stalls. The apple is freshest in its harvest season, from late September to mid-October.

Flower Okra

Amasya Flower Okra is among the geographical indications registered in 2018 (registration no. 352, designation of origin). The area covered by the registration, announced in the bulletin of the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office dated 1 June 2018, comprises the districts of Amasya Central, Taşova and Göynücek, together with Erbaa in Tokat and Kargı, Osmancık and Mecitözü in Çorum. According to the statement of the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry at the time of registration, 2,193 tonnes of okra were produced on 5,473 decares in the province. About 1,500 tonnes of this were dried, yielding about 180 tonnes of dried flower okra. The okra grows especially in the Taşova district and is sold in the bazaar in vacuum-packed gift packs. Dried flower okra is also an ingredient of the dish that has separately received a geographical indication under the name Amasya Meat and Flower Okra Dish.

Bakery and Kitchen Products

Part of the regional products sold in the bazaar comes out of the ovens. Amasya Çöreği was registered in 2021 and became the city's sixth geographical indication; the launch event was held on 14 September 2021. The pastry, prepared with walnut and poppy seed, is made from a recipe handed down from father to son; the master mentioned at the event is Galip, and the recipe is said to have been guarded for three generations. It is easily found in bakeries and pastry shops and is eaten with hot tea and at breakfast. Burmalı Amasya Çöreği and Amasya Yağlısı appear in the same list as separate entries.

Amasya Keşkeği is registered as an indication of source (registration no. 1183). It is made from keşkek wheat, mutton, beef marrow, sheep tail fat, chickpeas, fenugreek, salt and water. It is cooked for at least twelve hours in a keşkek pot called a "cab", in a stone oven heated with a wood fire. No tomato paste is used in production; the ingredients are not pounded but placed whole in the pot, and can be seen separately once cooked. It is always served on special days such as weddings. Merzifon Keşkeği is registered separately as a geographical indication. These dishes are less products one carries home from the bazaar than things one meets in restaurants and at wedding tables.

Baklalı dolma is prepared with dried inner broad beans and wrapped in brined leaves, and the beans dried on strings in summer are kept for winter. Ayva gallesi is made with meat, chickpeas and quince, is served especially at weddings, and is registered on condition that it is prepared with mutton. Patlıcan pehli, sıkma tarhanası, toyga soup, Suluova onion and Amasya cherry are also geographically indicated products. Helle soup (flour soup), though not on the geographical indication list, is a regional soup prepared with rice, butter and flour. Among gift foods taken home from the bazaar, homemade jams, pestil (fruit leather) and walnut sucuk can be added to these.

Beige Marble

Among geographically indicated products there is also one item that goes not to the bazaar stall but to the construction sector: Amasya Beige Marble (registration no. 358, designation of origin). It is extracted from open quarries in the Jurassic-Cretaceous Doğdu formation. Its fresh surface is beige, white and light grey, and its fracture surface consists of grey and dark grey limestones. Its hardness is close to that of granite; it does not stain, does not absorb water and wears little. It is used in floor paving, natural-stone ornament, decorative mosaic and wall cladding. In 2018 the Governor of Amasya announced that the stone was exported to 50 countries and that annual exports had reached about 50 million dollars; some of the quarries are in the Eliktekke area.

List of Geographical Indications

According to the January 2023 announcement of the Middle Black Sea Development Agency, Amasya's geographically indicated products are the following: Ayva Gallesi, Amasya Baklalı Dolması, Amasya Beji Mermeri, Amasya Etli Çiçek Bamyası Yemeği, Amasya Keşkeği, Amasya Kirazı, Amasya Misket Elması, Amasya Patlıcan Pehli, Amasya Semaveri, Amasya Sıkma Tarhanası, Amasya Toyga Çorbası, Amasya Yağlısı, Amasya Çiçek Bamyası, Amasya Çöreği, Burmalı Amasya Çöreği, Merzifon Keşkeği and Suluova Soğanı. When Amasya Cevizli Ballı Baklavası, whose registration certificate was presented on 12 January, was added to these, the number rose to eighteen. According to the same announcement, applications were pending for twenty-two products, including Amasya Balı, Amasya Hünnabı, Amasya Hünnap Pekmezi, Amasya Şehzade Kebabı, Gümüşhacıköy Haşhaşlı Saçüstü, Merzifon Karası Üzümü, Merzifon Kuşburnu Marmelatı, Taşova Ekmeği, Unutma Beni Tatlısı, Ziyaret Köy Ekmeği, Ziyaret Sini Çöreği and woven goods. This list may have changed with later registrations.

Geographical indications are of two main types. A designation of origin is given where a product owes its characteristics to the natural conditions of the region; apple, okra and marble are in this group. An indication of source is given where a product has a reputation link with a particular place; the samovar and keşkek are in this group. For the samovar and keşkek, the wording and emblem of the indication appear on the product itself or on its packaging; for the Misket apple, the name of the geographical indication may be used on the product together with the producer's brand.

What to Buy at the Bazaar

It helps to think of what is sold in the bazaar in three groups. The first is copper vessels: samovar, plate, bowl, sugar bowl, cezve and coffee set. When buying, one looks at whether the piece is handmade, whether the inside is tinned, and whether the pattern on the surface has been hammered one by one. The second is food: fresh Misket apples, apple tea, vacuum-packed okra packs, jams, pestil, walnut sucuk and çörek. The third is weaving, woodwork and other handicrafts: kilims, saddlebags, peştamal, sheets, needle-lace items and wood carvings.

The bazaar is easier to visit in the morning hours, as shops are newly opening and the craftsmen are starting work. Talking with a craftsman in the Coppersmiths' Bazaar and asking how a piece was made is a normal part of shopping. Prices are open to bargaining, bargaining is done politely, and the offer of tea is common.

Chronology

1483: Hüseyin Ağa has the Bedesten built.

1668: An earthquake causes heavy damage to the Bedesten.

1699 or 1758: The construction date of the Taşhan appears in sources as one of these two years.

1865: The dome of the Bedesten is pulled down and the building is covered with a roof.

1971: The General Directorate of Foundations restores the Bedesten.

2012: Restoration of the Taşhan is completed.

2018: Amasya Flower Okra is registered; the geographical indication of Beige Marble is also announced the same year.

14 March 2019: Amasya Misket Apple is registered.

2021: Amasya Çöreği and Amasya Baklalı Dolması are registered.

21 December 2022: Amasya Samovar is registered.

12 January 2023: The registration certificate of Amasya Cevizli Ballı Baklavası is presented.

Sources

Official sources

  • T.C. Amasya İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü, "El Sanatları" (amasya.ktb.gov.tr/TR-59499/el-sanatlari.html).
  • Türk Patent ve Marka Kurumu, Geographical Indication Registration Certificate No. 1298, Amasya Semaveri. ci.turkpatent.gov.tr
  • Türk Patent ve Marka Kurumu, Geographical Indication Registration Certificate No. 424, Amasya Misket Elması. ci.turkpatent.gov.tr
  • Kültür Portalı, geographical indication records for "Amasya Keşkeği", "Amasya Beji Mermeri" and "Amasya Misket Elması". kulturportali.gov.tr
  • Orta Karadeniz Kalkınma Ajansı, "Orta Karadeniz'in Coğrafi İşaret Tescilli Ürün Sayısı 56'ya Ulaştı", 23 January 2023.

Other sources

  • Amasya İl Tarım ve Orman Müdürlüğü, "Amasya Çiçek Bamyası Coğrafi İşaret Tescili Yapıldı", 5 July 2018.
  • Amasya Ticaret ve Sanayi Odası, "Amasya Çöreği Coğrafi İşareti Tescili Tanıtım Programı Düzenlendi", 14 September 2021.
  • Amasya Bedesteni entry, Vikipedi; Amasya Taşhan ve Bakırcılar Çarşısı introduction, Turkey Outdoor, 2025.
  • Objektif Amasya, news items on copper samovars and souvenir handicrafts, 2025-2026.

Online sources