Old Bazaar Essay

This chapter provides an overall view of how Skopje’s urban form was developed during the medieval times of pre-ottoman, during the ottoman invasion and lastly, how Old Bazaar was developed before the earthquake and which public facilities were destroyed. Thus, the chapter is focused on the Historical urban development of Skopje and being narrowed to Old bazaar, so that readers will understand easier the concept of the changing of Old bazaar’s urban identity through redevelopments and modernization. Figure 1: The Historical Development of Bazaar. Source: Adapted by author, Stara Skopska Carshija, p. 26, 1971,

2.1 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SKOPJE AND IT’S HISTORICAL CENTER, OLD BAZAAR Skopje has been occupied since ancient period of times and had a periphery position. Road Via-Egnatia was a substantial linking road for Rome to Constantinople that passed through the southern parts on Today’s Republic of Macedonia. After many invasions, Skopje finally became one of the Ottomans conquered cities

The V stage is the time when Muzein Oja constructed numerous Waqf blessings in Skopje, including the complex of Kursumli Han, Gurciler Hamam and Kazandziler Mosque that are the last enormous Ottoman communal facilities worked in the Bazaar. The earthquake of 1963, severely damaged a lot of Skopje’s buildings, including the Historical center of Skopje, Old Bazaar. Old bazaar as mentioned above, contained all of the most important public facilities that contain a great historical value inside and most importantly the location of the public facilities such as: Han, hamam, Bedesten, Yigit Pasa Mosque. This pattern has not changed its historical significance even though most of the physical structure does not remain