Gjakova in a Day: The Grand Bazaar and Old Town

One of the longest Ottoman bazaars in the Balkans, still a working market: craftsmen, a 16th-century inn, a museum in an 1830 house, and sunset over the city from Çabrati Hill. The Grand Bazaar. Gjakova's Grand Bazaar stretches about one kilometre through the heart of the city and has been a trading street since the Ottoman period. Unlike many heritage quarters, it is still a working market: cobblers, copper workers, woodcarvers and filigree jewellers. Walk it slowly from end to end and stop for a macchiato on the way.. Çarshia e Madhe Hadum Mosque. At the centre of the bazaar stands the Hadum Mosque, built in 1594 to 1595, with a three-domed portico and a richly decorated interior. The complex also includes an old religious school, a fountain and one of Kosovo's oldest Islamic libraries. It was damaged in 1999 and has been restored.. Hadum Mosque The Clock Tower. A few steps away, the 30-metre Clock Tower rises over the area still called the Field of the Clock. The first tower was built in the 19th century as a sign of the city's wealth; it was burned in 1912 and later rebuilt near its original foundations. It is the easiest landmark for finding your way around the bazaar.. Sahat Kulla, Gjakova Lunch at Hani i Haraçisë. Have lunch inside history. Hani i Haraçisë is a 16th-century Ottoman inn, built when Gjakova sat on the main trade routes, with a stone ground floor and wooden galleries around a courtyard. Today it is a restaurant and guesthouse, one of the few heritage buildings you can enjoy over a meal. Reach it through the alley of woodwork shops.. Hani i Haraçisë The Ethnographic Museum. In the afternoon, visit the Ethnographic Museum, set in a house built around 1830 by master builders from Dibra. The wooden ceilings and rooms are as beautiful as the 1,730 objects inside: costumes from the Has region, copper vessels, bridal chests and embroidered city dress. Allow 45 to 60 minutes.. Ethnographic Museum, Gjakova The Tabak Bridge. Walk south to the Tabak Bridge, named after the tanners who once worked beside the river. Its low stone arches are a quiet, beautiful spot away from the busiest lanes, and a favourite of photographers. Loop back through the southern streets of the bazaar.. Ura e Tabakëve Sunset on Çabrati Hill. End the day above the city. The walk up Çabrati Hill from the old town takes under half an hour, and at golden hour the bazaar's roofs and minarets glow over the wide Drini plain. Locals come here every evening; join them, then head back down for dinner.. Çabrati Hill