The Old Bazaar () is a

bazaar A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...

located in

Prilep Prilep ( ) is the List of cities in North Macedonia, fourth-largest city in North Macedonia. According to 2021 census, it had a population of 63,308. Name The name of Prilep appeared first as ''Πρίλαπος'' in Greek (''Prilapos'') in 1 ...

North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...

. It is located east of the main city square and north of the Prilep River. The bazaar dates from the second half of the 18th century, when Prilep grew in commercial and economic significance. Most of its present appearance dates from the 19th century. The bazaar is listed as an Object of Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, while several commercial buildings, the city clock tower, a mosque, and а

hamam A hammam (), also often called a Turkish bath by Westerners, is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the Islamic culture, culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...

within it are also listed individually. Many of the historic crafts present in Prilep's bazaar are at risk of dying out or already have died out due to industrial production. The pottery trade, for instance, was once represented in 38 shops employing about 360 people; just one such shop remains today.

Landmarks

Clock Tower

Prilep's hexagonal

Clock Tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure that house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building ...

is located at the heart of the bazaar and dominates its skyline. It was built in 1858 in a neoclassical style, following a fire which destroyed the previous clock tower. Designed by Petrе Lautsо, its building was funded by the city residents. It is intact since its original construction and stands tall. The Clock Tower is considered a leaning tower.

Čarši Mosque

Directly south of the Clock Tower is the Čarši Mosque, built in 1476 or 1477. It is also known as the Haci Hüseyin ben Abdallah Mosque, after the individual who ordered its construction. The date of its construction is a signifier of the time around when the commercial centre of Prilep shifted from its previous hub at the Varoš area below Marko's Towers to the plain further below through which the Prilep River passes. Much of the mosque was destroyed in a fire in 1856/1857. Afterwards, it consisted of an original portion and a reconstructed portion. Its single minaret has two balconies. The mosque sits in ruins after it was deliberately set on fire on 8 August 2001 by locals in response to the Karpalak ambush on the same day, in which 10 Macedonian security members from Prilep were killed by the National Liberation Army, part of the

2001 insurgency in Macedonia The 2001 insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia was an armed conflict which began when the ethnic Albanians in North Macedonia, Albanian National Liberation Army (North Macedonia), National Liberation Army (NLA) insurgent group, formed from veter ...

. The Macedonian government, with the assistance of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

and Turkish foundations, had plans to reconstruct the mosque three years after it was razed, but the project did not take hold due to opposition from local residents.

Itar Pejo fountain

The bazaar has a

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" ( genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were o ...

with a depiction of the Itar Pejo character of Macedonian folklore. Sculpted by

Zharko Basheski Zharko Basheski () (born 11 August 1957) is a Macedonian sculptor and professor in the Sculpture Department at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Skopje. His work falls under the Hyperrealism (visual arts), hyperrealism movement, with a specific focus ...

, the monument was completed in 2008.

Turkish Bath

The Turkish Bath sits at the northern edge of the bazaar on Goce Delčev Boulevard. It is in poor, nearly ruined condition.

References

{{Coord, 41, 20, 45, N, 21, 33, 17, E, display=title Prilep Bazaars in North Macedonia