In the late Ottoman era, Asmaaltı—often referred to as “Istanbul’s pantry” and located next to Balıkpazarı, Tahtakale, and the Egyptian Bazaar—emerged as a vital node within the trade axis connecting the Golden Horn to major commercial centers such as the Grand Bazaar and Galata. This article examines the micro-scale, yet historically significant urban space within the broader context of World War I and the Ottoman Empire’s wartime economic policies. As the war progressed, intensifying economic pressures—exacerbated by the blockade of the İzmir port—amplified Asmaaltı’s strategic role. In response to deteriorating conditions, merchants shifted operations to Asmaaltı and adopted survival strategies such as stockpiling and hoarding. At the same time, the Ottoman state sought to stabilize the domestic economy through interventions such as price controls, anti-hoarding regulations, and export restrictions. These state measures, combined with merchant responses and the effects of the blockade, contributed to a significant restructuring of existing trade networks. Within this framework, the article interprets the era’s widespread speculative practices not as mere opportunism but as expressions of deeper structural transformations within the wartime economy. Ultimately, by focusing on that Asmaaltı played a role in sustaining Istanbul’s economic vitality, the article offers new insights into the transformation of urban commerce during this critical period.

In 1675, the Ottoman state held an imperial festival (sur-ı hümayun) in Edirne to celebrate the military achievements, the circumcision of the sons of Sultan Mehmed IV (r. 1648-1687) and the marriage of his daughter. Drawing from seventeenthcentury official and non-official sources concerning the festival, this essay focuses mainly on the role of the artisans. It shows how the practices of the artisans at the festival resembled those of the army artisans who, too, paraded at the initial stage of the military campaigns. However, rather than the mere theatrical aspects of the guilds’ pageantry, it emphasizes other yet multiple functions of the artisans. In particular, showing the role of the Istanbul and Edirne guilds in front of and behind the stage, this essay argues that they not only benefited from participating in such events but also bore their burdens as they provided various services, labor, and funding. In this regard, it also pays attention to the other side of the coin where not only artisans but also other actors were involved. To this end, after a brief introduction, this essay focuses on the day-to-day parades of the artisans, the practices of gift-giving, the burdens and benefits of the festival for the different classes, and finally its military tone by considering the actively involved artisans and their auxiliaries.