A Bedestan (or bezistan or bedesten) is a covered market usually for haberdashery and craftsmanship. Bezistans were built in Ottoman Empire and their design is based on the design of the mosques. A Bedestan, in the most basic definition, is the central building of the commercial part of the town. It has its origins in the Greco-Roman Basilica or Kaiserion, which served a similar purpose. The Bedestan was such an important building that during Ottoman times cities were often classified under two categories, cities with a Bedestan and cities without a Bedestan.