The Bazaar in Skopje consists of two thousand, one hundred and fifty shops. There are big and small markets built of solid material and embellished with arches and domes. The most beautiful amon them are those of cotton fabric merchants, the silk fabric merchants, the umbrella makers, the slipper makers, the paint sellers and small cap makers. These are big bazaars built according to a plan. Their alleyways are clean and cobbled. Each shop is adorned with hyacinths, violets, roses, winter roses, basil, lilacs and lilies in vases and flowerpots. Their smell simply intoxicates the visitors and merchants. There are educated and very honest people here. In the summer heat all of Skopje Market resembles the cool places of Baghdad, because each of its bazaar is covered with shutters like those in Sarajevo and Aleppo.
– Evliya Celebi, Turkish travel writer, 17th century
Secretary
