The Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Büyük Çarşı, meaning ‘Grand Market’) in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4’000 shops on a total area of 30’700 square meters. It is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world. The construction of the future Grand Bazaar's core started during the winter of 1455/56, shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople and was part of a broader initiative to stimulate economic prosperity in Istanbul. Today the Grand Bazaar is a thriving complex, employing 26’000 professionals visited by between 250’000 and 400’000 visitors daily, and one of the major landmarks of Istanbul.