Old Bazaar (Čaršija)
Old Bazaar (Čaršija) features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Ohrid. Give it roughly ~45 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type market
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Ohrid Ohrid guide
About Old Bazaar (Čaršija)
Ohrid's lively pedestrian market street, running from the lakeside square to an ancient plane tree, lined with cafés, the Ali Pasha Mosque and shops selling Ohrid pearls made from fish scales.
The Old Bazaar (Čaršija) runs along St Clement of Ohrid Street, from the square by the lake in the south to the Činar, a huge oriental plane tree, at its northern end. Ohrid's trading quarter was already busy in Ottoman times: in 1670 the traveller Evliya Çelebi counted about 150 shops and workshops.
Along the street stands the Ali Pasha Mosque, named after Ali Pasha in 1823 and restored in 2015-2019. Shops sell Ohrid pearls, beads coated by hand with an emulsion made from the scales of a small lake fish, a secret kept by two families, the Filevs and the Talevs.
Did you know? Ohrid pearls are not real pearls: they are beads coated by hand with a secret emulsion made from the scales of the plašica, a small silvery fish of Lake Ohrid.
How long is a visit to Old Bazaar (Čaršija)?
Set aside roughly ~45 min for Old Bazaar (Čaršija). That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Old Bazaar (Čaršija) worth your time?
Old Bazaar (Čaršija) is among the 13 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Ohrid, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Ohrid
Day 1 of the Ohrid in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Old Bazaar (Čaršija)
Preview the Ohrid tour free in the Gingerguide app.