3 Best Sights in Republic of Macedonia

This graceful 15th-century structure is largely considered Macedonia's most beautiful Ottoman-era building. Built with creamy limestone, the mosque's lovely soaring interior is a marvel of elegance and simplicity, and remains exactly as it was when first built in 1492. Set on a hill overlooking the bazaar—an easy walk from the bazaar and the Kale Fortress—the mosque's single minaret is visible from all points in the city.

Standing guard over the city on Skopje's highest hill, this imposing structure was built over an earlier 6th-century fortress, though the earliest vestiges date back to Byzantine times. Destroyed many times over by fire or earthquake, most of the visible structure was built under the rule of Justinian I with further additions in the 10th and 11th centuries. It's worth a visit for the very best views of the city.

The winding streets and colorful shops of the picturesque Old Bazaar, the oldest in the Balkans outside Istanbul, date back to early medieval times but had their most rapid expansion under Ottoman rule. The expansive bazaar extends over the Old Stone Bridge to the Skopje Fortress and the banks of the Serava River and contains a majority of the city's notable cultural and historic landmarks, including mosques and churches, several important museums, and ancient hammams. Overflowing with quaint wooden-shuttered shops, tearooms, restaurants, and bars, the bazaar is the city's beating heart and also its cultural center, featuring some notable art galleries and concert halls. Since 2010, the city has embarked on a major redevelopment project to restore and revitalize the area and to support traditional artisans and craftspeople working there.