Bogyoke Aung San Market is a major bazaar

Bazaar

A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...

 located in Pabedan township

Pabedan Township

Pabedan Township is located in the center of downtown Yangon, Myanmar. The township is home to Bogyoke Aung San Market and Theingyi Market, two of the largest shopping centers in all of Yangon...

 in downtown Yangon

Yangon

Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...

, Myanmar

Myanmar

Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....

. Known for its colonial architecture and inner cobblestone

Cobblestone

Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...

 streets, the market is a major tourist destination, dominated by antique, Burmese handicraft

Handicraft

Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...

 and jewellery

Jewellery

Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...

 shops, art galleries, and clothing stores. Bogyoke Market is a popular black market location to exchange currency. The market also has a number of stores for local shoppers, selling medicine, foodstuffs, garments and foreign goods.

Stores

The ground floor and the first floor are lined with small antique shops selling old coins, bank-notes, postage stamps and medals. In the middle of the market are jewelers, selling famous Burmese jade, Burmese rubies and other precious stones. The rest are art galleries, handicraft shops, restaurants and clothes stores. The new wing of the market, across Bogyoke Aung San Market Road, houses shops that sell medicine, foodstuffs, garments and foreign goods.

The market is also known for its black market money changers, with jewelry merchants typically able to change the largest bills at the best rates.

History

Scott's Market was built in 1926, late in the British rule of Myanmar, and was named after James George Scott

James George Scott

Sir George Scott, KCIE was a Scottish journalist and colonial administrator who helped establish British colonial rule in Burma, and in addition introduced soccer to Burma ....

, the British civil servant who introduced football to Myanmar. After Burmese independence in 1948, it was renamed after Bogyoke (General) Aung San

Aung San

Bogyoke Aung San ; 13 February 1915 – 19 July 1947) was a Burmese revolutionary, nationalist, and founder of the modern Burmese army, the Tatmadaw....

. A new wing of the market was added across Bogyoke Market Road in the 1990s.

The market structure is listed on the Yangon City Heritage List

Yangon City Heritage List

The Yangon City Heritage List is a list of man-made landmarks in Yangon, Myanmar, so designated by the city government, Yangon City Development Committee. The list consists of 188 structures , and is largely made up of mostly religious structures and British colonial era buildings. The list is...

.