Old Bazaar in Gjirokastër

The Old Bazaar (Pazari i Vjetër) is the oldest quarter of Gjirokastër, where most of the workshops, cafés, restaurants and souvenir stalls are concentrated today. The district’s central intersection, referred to by locals as Qafa e Pazarit, is the most photographed spot in this city. The surrounding Ottoman two- to three-storey houses with slate roofs have all been repaired.

Just a few metres from the Qafa stands the Bazaar Mosque, built in 1757. Of the original 13 mosques in Gjirokastër, it was the only one to survive the atheist campaign of the communist regime. The city saw unparalleled devastation, even by Albanian standards, purportedly due to being the birthplace of communist dictator Enver Hoxha, who harboured animosity against the religious buildings of Gjirokastër. The former Bektashi tekke, which is now a madrasa (Islamic secondary school), is located next to the mosque.

The Old Bazaar used to be the centre of the Orthodox population in the city, as evidenced by the Church of St. Sotir (Kisha e Shën Sotirit) from 1784. The interior of the church with a high bell tower was severely damaged in the socialist era and the current decorative paintings were created by artists after 1990.

TIP: It would be a sin not to stay in one of Gjirokastër‘s many Ottoman houses coverted into hotels. One of these is the Old Bazaar 1790, which is about a minute’s walk from the Qafa. Rooms are decorated with old wooden ceilings and antique furniture, with views of the city, food in the restaurant and staff being exceptional.

Poking around the numerous stores along the streets that lead to the Qafa in the centre of the bazaar could take hours. Some of the workshops offer experiences such as cooking classes, wood crafting or dressing up in traditional costumes.

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