Souk El Bchemkya

Souk El Bchemkya is one of the souks of the medina of Tunis. It used to be specialised in selling "bechmak" (slippers for Turks).
History.
This souk was built by Yusuf Dey at the same time as his mosque. It is a part of his foundation made up of religious and economic buildings.
After the disappearance of qadis and "mudarris" (teachers), the guild of manufacturers of "bechmak" is dissolved, leading to the disappearance of the souk.
Location.
The souk is located near the crossroads of Sidi Ben Ziad Street and Souk El Bey. It surrounds the Youssef Dey Mosque on three sides: east, north and west. Some of the shops are drilled in the platform that carries the mosque.
Nowadays, shops once located on the side of Dar El Bey are annexed to this monument, and those located under the platform are reallocated to other uses, like a bank agency of Société Tunisienne de Banque.
Products.
With the installation of Turks in Tunisia, Turkish clothing is introduced. The "bechmak" ("pashmak" in Turkish) are then new models of slippers or boots worn by Turks.
The yellow "bechmak" are worn by men, especially fakirs from the Hanafi rite. Women wear different colours.