Şanlıurfa Bakırcılar Çarşısı

Have you ever stepped into a street where each shop emits a different clinking sound, its ceiling adorned with stone arches? That is exactly what Bakırcılar Çarşısı in Şanlıurfa is. This is not merely a marketplace for shopping; it is the home of a centuries-old art—coppersmithing. The moment you enter the market, you find yourself immersed in a rhythm created by the hammer strikes of master artisans.

Bakırcılar Çarşısı is filled with craftsmen who create exquisite objects from copper, a bright reddish-brown metal. These artisans shape flat copper sheets by striking them with hammers. The sounds they produce seem like the market’s own music. The market whispers stories of the past while embracing the masters of today.

The most important sound in Bakırcılar Çarşısı is the rhythmic “tak, tak, tak” of the artisans’ hammers. What do these sounds mean? Each hammer blow is a step in transforming a flat copper sheet into a beautiful object. By striking the metal, the artisans thin it, elongate it, and give it an entirely new form. This technique is known as “hammering.”

Using this technique, the artisans make trays, cezve coffee pots, large cooking cauldrons, and even special shallow basins called “leğen” used for kneading raw meatballs. Every item produced reflects the artisan’s patience and skill. Sometimes, delicate patterns are engraved onto the copper objects, enhancing their beauty and giving them a unique identity.

The market’s original name is Hüseyniye Çarşıları. Thanks to its high, arched ceilings, it remains cool in summer and warm in winter. These distinctive ceilings are called “tonoz” and resemble stone bridges leaning against each other. The market consists of two parallel covered alleys, each with exactly fifteen such arched ceilings.

This structure was designed to allow shoppers and merchants to spend time comfortably regardless of weather conditions. As you walk among the stone walls, you see not only the shops but also the traces of history.

Let us travel back in time! Bakırcılar Çarşısı was built approximately 140 years ago, in 1887, during the Ottoman Empire. When it first opened, the market was not home to coppersmiths but to vendors selling colorful rugs and kilims.

Later, it became a place where “yemeni”—shoes made of leather—were sold. Eventually, it began to host its current visitors: the coppersmith artisans. Over time, the market became popularly known as Bakırcılar Çarşısı.