Old Bazaar
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.
