Cevahir Mall

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Mall facts and statistics
Cevahir Shopping Centre

Location	Istanbul, Turkey
Address
Opening date	October 15, 2005
Developer	Cevahirler Group
Management	Cevahirler Group
Owner	Cevahirler Group

Cevahir Shopping Centre: Largest Mall of Europe, seen here with its six floors

Cevahir Shopping Centre, opened on October 15, 2005, is a modern shopping and entertainment center located in the Şişli district of Istanbul, Turkey. Called also Şişli Kültür ve Ticaret Merkezi (Şişli Cultural and Trade Center). Cevahir Mall is the largest shopping mall in Europe, and the second largest shopping mall in the world.¹

1 Origins
2 Structural Specifications
3 Ownership and Operations
4 Safety Concerns/Recent Controversy
5 Anchors and other stores
6 See also
7 References

[edit] Origins

The project, originally a trade complex including retail centers and three skyscrapers with 40 and 48 floors to replace one of the city’s old bus depots, was designed in 1987 by American architects Minoru Yamasaki & Associates. The foundation stone was laid in 1997; however, it took eight years to complete only the shopping centre section due to numerous delays and suspensions of construction.

[edit] Structural Specifications

Cevahir Shopping Centre has a total gross area of 620,000 m² on six floors and cost $250 million to build. There are 280 shops, some of which are the first in Turkey to sell certain international brands; 34 fast food restaurants and 14 exclusive restaurants in the shopping centre. Under its roof, there is a big stage for shows and other events, 12 cinemas including an IMAX 3D cinema. It has also a cinema for children, several other entertainment facilities, and a bowling hall. A roller coaster spans the interior of the shopping centre. The building's 2,500-m²-glass roof carries the biggest clock in the world, with digits each 3 m big.

The car park has a capacity of 2,500 cars. 5,000 service people are employed on the property. The shopping centre is situated in the business quarter on the European side of Istanbul between Şişli and Mecidiyeköy and also can be reached easily by metro. Three floors of the shopping centre are connected directly to the metro line.

[edit] Ownership and Operations

The shopping centre, co-owned and operated by Cevahirler Group, was opened to the public with a grand ceremony by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. A crowd of 450,000 people visited the complex on that day. Recently, 190,000 visitors come to the shopping centre daily. It is open seven days a week from 10:00 to 22:00 hours.

[edit] Safety Concerns/Recent Controversy

The Cevahirler Group, owners and operators of the mall, came under strong criticism from the media when a 3-year old girl fell from the 4th-floor balcony. This was the second of two deaths within the same month, the first being a teenage boy. Mall management responded immediately by installing extra balcony handrails where necessary, but the issue remains controversial as the management didn't take precautions after the first death.

Cevahir also received press coverage in December 2006 for two mall security guards taking a 7-year-old girl into a store changing room and assaulting her for allegedly stealing jewelry.