By Reza Soudagar, Senior Director, Database and Technology Marketing, SAP. Istanbulâs Grand Bazaar, which covers a huge area in the center city, was one of the first shopping malls ever built and it remains one of the greatest spectacles in the world, attracting up to 400,000 visitors each day. I spent a day at the Grand Bazaar and prowled through its labyrinthine vaults.