Flea market in 19.th century Istanbul as a market of second hand goods

The number of researches on second hand goods trade and its flea markets in Ottoman İstanbul is very limited. Whereas, second hand goods trade was very common in the Ottoman society. The supply of second hand goods consisted of illegal goods or found goods and, to a large extent, the goods left behind after the death of people. The main aim of this thesis is to discuss the institutional and spatial structure of the İstanbul flea market in a historical perspective. The flea market is organized for second-hand goods trade. This study will also reveal how the flea market works and the typologies of the customers and tradesman. The location of the flea market of Ottoman İstanbul, which no longer exist today, is analyzed spatially. A wide range of second hand goods, especially clothing, could come to this flea market. This variety of commodities attracted not only the guild of flea market but also many other trade guilds. Therefore the organizational structure of the flea market artisans and their relationships with other artisan groups was also revealed. Finally, the transformation of second hand goods consumption culture in the Ottoman Empire was examined through the social and economic dynamics of the 19th century. Keywords: Second Hand Goods Trade, Flea Market, Artisan, İstanbul