A feature found in all Ottoman bazaar areas, a bezisten is a secure, gated part of the market that once housed the shops selling silk, jewellery, spices and perfume. Skopje’s mid-15th century bezisten was destroyed in the 1689 fire and was rebuilt in a modern style around 1900. The original building was a single space with 2.5m-thick walls and six domes supported by two massive pillars. The bezisten now has four gates and five tiny streets and is half empty, with some workshops and a friendly café.
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