Брюссельдің тарихи алаңы – ЮНЕСКО мұрасы

Square and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Brussels, Belgium

The Grand Place (ɡʁɑ̃ plas; "Grand Square"; also used in English) or Grote Markt (; "Big Market") is the central square of Brussels, Belgium. It is surrounded by opulent Baroque guildhalls of the former Guilds of Brussels and two larger edifices; the city's Flamboyant Town Hall, and the neo Gothic King's House or Bread House building, containing the Brussels City Museum. The square measures and is entirely paved. The Grand Place's construction began in the 11th century and was largely complete by the 17th. In 1695, during the Nine Years' War, most of the square was destroyed during the bombardment of Brussels by French troops. Only the facade and the tower of the Town Hall, which served as a target for the artillery, and some stone walls resisted the incendiary balls. The houses that surrounded the Grand Place were rebuilt during subsequent years, giving the square its current appearance, though they were frequently modified in the following centuries. From the mid 19th century, the square's heritage value was rediscovered, and it was thoroughly renovated. Nowadays, the Grand Place is the most important tourist destination and most memorable landmark in Brussels. It is also considered one of the world's most beautiful squares, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. The square frequently hosts festive and cultural events, among them, in August of every even year, the installation of an immense flower carpet in its centre. It is also a centre of annual celebrations during the Christmas and New Year period, and a Christmas tree has been erected annually on the square since the mid 20th century. This site is served by the premetro (underground tram) station Bourse/Beurs (on lines 3 and 4), as well as the bus stop Grand Place/Grote Markt (on line 95).

The toponyms Grand Place or Grand'Place (French, ɡʁɑ̃ plas; "Grand Square"; also used in English) are generic names designating a central town square, namely in Belgium and Northern France. Originally, the main square was the geographical centre of the towns and cities in these regions (for example the Grand Place of Mons, Tournai, Arras, or Lille). The Grand Place of Brussels is the location of the city's Town Hall, and thus its political centre. It also housed the largest marketplace in the city (hence its official names Grote Markt or Groote Markt, ; literally meaning "Big Market", in Dutch). Nowadays, the names Grand Placeefn|This is the name used in the UNESCO description. but are also still in use in certain sources, such as on wall plaques giving the name of the square. This outdated French spelling is a grammatical exception; place being feminine, the modern French form would be Grande Place. In the Brabantian dialect of Brussels (known as Brusselian, and also sometimes referred to as Marols or Marollien), the Grand Place is called Gruute Met. an important trade route between the prosperous regions of the Rhineland (in modern day Germany) and the County of Flanders. At the beginning of the 13th century, three covered markets were built on the northern edge of the Grand Place; a meat market, a bread market, and a cloth market. These buildings, which belonged to the Duke of Brabant, allowed the wares to be showcased even in bad weather, but also allowed the Dukes to keep track of the storage and sale of goods, in order to collect taxes. Other buildings, largely constructed of thatch and timber, with some made of stone , enclosed the Grand Place. Although none of these steenen remain, their names live on in nearby streets, such as the Plattesteen, the Cantersteen, or the Rue des Pierres/Steenstraat. In the middle of the market square stood a primitive public fountain. In 1302, it was replaced by a large stone fountain with eight water jets and eight basins, directly in front of the bread market.

Improvements to the Grand Place from the 14th century onwards would mark the rise in importance of local merchants and tradesmen relative to the nobility. As he was short on money, the Duke gradually transferred parts of his control rights over trade and mills to the local authorities, prompting them to build edifices worthy of their new status. In 1353, the City of Brussels ordered the construction of a large indoor cloth market , similar to those of the neighbouring cities of Mechelen and Leuven, to the south of the square. At this point, the Grand Place was still haphazardly laid out, and the buildings along the edges had a motley tangle of gardens and irregular additions. The city expropriated and demolished a number of buildings that clogged the square, and formally defined its edges. Brussels' Town Hall was erected in stages, between 1401 and 1455, on the south side of the Grand Place, transforming the square into the seat of municipal power. The Town Hall's spire towers some high, and is capped by a statue of Saint Michael slaying a demon or devil. To counter this, from 1504 to 1536, the Duke of Brabant ordered the construction of a large Flamboyant edifice across from the city hall to house his administrative services. as well as Charles Baudelaire, who gave two conferences at the King's House in the 1860s. In 1885, the Belgian Workers' Party (POB/BWP), the first socialist party in Belgium, was founded during a meeting at the Grand Place, at the same place where the First International had convened, and where Karl Marx had written The Communist Manifesto in 1848.

Festivities and cultural events are frequently organised on the Grand Place, such as sound and light shows during the Christmas and New Year period as part of the "Winter Wonders", as well as concerts in the summer. Among the most important and famous are the Flower Carpet and the Ommegang, both taking place in the summer. The Belgian Beer Weekend, an event dedicated to Belgian beers, during which small and large breweries present their products at the Grand Place, has taken place since 2010. The square has also been used for community gatherings and public celebrations, such as receiving athletes following sporting events. in August, coordinating with Assumption Day, an enormous flower carpet is set up in the Grand Place for three to four days. On this occasion, nearly a million colourful begonias are set up in patterns forming a carpet like tapestry, and the display covers a full , for area total of .

Twice a year, at the turn of June and July, the Ommegang of Brussels, a type of medieval pageant and folkloric costumed procession, ends with a large spectacle at the Grand Place. Historically the largest lustral procession of Brussels, which took place once a year, on the Sunday before Pentecost, since 1930, it has taken the form of a historical reenactment of the Joyous Entry of Emperor Charles V and his son Philip II in Brussels in 1549. The colourful parade includes floats, traditional processional giants, such as Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, and scores of folkloric groups, either on foot or on horseback, dressed in medieval garb. Since 2019, it is recognised as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Christmas and New Year celebrations have been held on the Grand Place every year since 1952 or 1954. They have been officialised since 2000 as part of the "Winter Wonders" in the city centre. A Christmas tree is erected on the square for the occasion and is decorated with lights that are switched on at a seasonal ceremony, whilst the square's facades are illuminated by a sound and light show. These festivities usually take place from the end of November until the beginning of January and attract a large number of people.