Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Denmark
“It’s a singular experience of diversity – the whole world is gathered out here,” says Ahmet Øcalan, manager of Bazar Vest.
Attraction of the Month, Denmark
More than a shopping experience Founded 20 years ago as a private integration initiative, Bazar Vest in Aarhus is today, with its 18,000 square metres, the biggest bazaar in the Nordic countries. A truly multicultural experience, the bazaar comprises over 100 shops ranging from small local tailors and exotic fruit vendors to big, national suppliers and even a fitness centre. As Aarhus takes its place as European Capital of Culture 2017, the bazaar is gearing up for a string of special events and visits. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Bazar Vest
While going to the supermarket or shopping online might be quick and efficient, one thing it is not is a memorable experience. A visit to Bazar Vest, on the other hand, is. Founded by developers Olav de Linde in an old factory in 1996, Bazar Vest is today a buzzing cultural melting pot visited by over 10,000 shoppers each week. Due to the bazaar’s extraordinary story 112 | Issue 96 | January 2017
and the unique success of the project, visitors are no longer just locals looking to take care of their weekly shopping; many tourists from near and far also stop by the bazaar, which has become one of Aarhus’ most-popular attractions. More than just a vibrant shopping experience, what they find is also a rare meeting with the multicultural community of Aarhus,
according to the manager of the bazaar, Ahmet Øcalan. “The ambition from the very start was to create an atmosphere that, back then, you would only find in big markets abroad. We wanted to be a place that appealed to all the senses; when you come here, what you first notice is likely to be the many exotic scents. It’s a singular experience of diversity – the whole world is gathered out here. We have shop managers from Iran, Somalia, Turkey, Ethiopia and so on, as well as ethnic Danes.” During 2017, visitors to Aarhus will be able to get a taste of the bazaar’s special atmosphere all over Aarhus as it will stage events all over the city.