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Even though large parts of Skopje old bazaar have been destroyed for making of streets, parking lots and similar, it still is the largest one in the Balkans. It has developed and changed during the centuries but it still has its original use as a shopping place.
The old bazaar was never used for living, it always was a shopping area and contact zone of the Christian and the Muslim population as they lived in separate quarters of the town. It is a structure of many streets lined with small shops. The crafts were divided between the Christians and the Muslims (and they were not allowed to practice each others crafts). All the shops used to be same size no matter if they belonged to a Christian or a Muslim. Each street hosted different craft, and all stores from that craft were on one street (for example gold street, shoes street, pots street, pillows street, etc) The craftsman belonged into unions, the union set the prices and all the prices were same for a certain product and the competition was in quality not price. If one was cought cheating the union had a right to kick him out of the bazaar and take away his store. The stores were closed with wooden shutters which were lowered when the stores were opened and the goods were displayed on them, people did not enter the stores to buy. In the bazaar one can see types of stores from different periods...