Fire at historic Istanbul bazaar brought under control

ISTANBUL

Crews have managed to extinguish a fire that broke out in a 123-year-old restaurant in Istanbul's famous Spice Bazaar, with no casualties or injuries reported.

The conflagration ignited at approximately 10 a.m. on May 15 in the chimney of the historic Pandeli Restaurant in the bazaar in Eminönü, for reasons yet to be ascertained.

As the flames leapt to the roof, the fire burgeoned, prompting the restaurant staff to initiate the first response. Local media reported that numerous fire, medical and police units were dispatched to the scene following the alert.

Firefighters tackled the blaze from three different vantage points using ladders. The fire was swiftly brought under control, with three restaurant employees who were affected by the smoke receiving immediate medical attention in an ambulance.

Aside from the damage to the restaurant, the historic market sustained no significant harm, Fatih Mayor Mehmet Ergün Turan stated.

Turan noted that preliminary findings pointed to a potential issue with the restaurant's chimney as the cause of the fire. The mayor said that fires in such historic buildings can have devastating consequences, not only financially but also culturally, praising the response of the fire brigades on May 15.

Established by Pandeli Çobanoğlu, who migrated from the central province of Niğde to Istanbul, Pandeli Restaurant began as a modest stall in Eminönü's Çukur Han before relocating to its current site within the historic Spice Bazaar in 1926.

During the tumultuous years of the World War I, Pandeli became a haunt for the intellectuals, politicians, journalists, artists and writers of the era. Throughout its 123-year odyssey, Pandeli has hosted numerous luminaries.