Close to the city's surviving Ottoman clock tower, the oldest part of the long-abandoned and sadly derelict Čarši (Bazaar) Mosque dates back to 1475. Complete with an equally disintegrating minaret, wandering around the roofless building is a strange pleasure indeed, and one that probably won’t be possible for much longer thanks to the increasingly perilous condition of the structure. Much of the Old Bazaar in which it’s located remains. A walk around its streets and drinking Turkish coffee in one of its many cafés is a highly recommended thing to do when in town. Immediately west of the mosque is a typically colourful fruit and vegetable market selling all sorts of locally grown edible delights.
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Comments
Lena
Novi Sad
4. 3. 2026
Unfortunately the mosque was destroyed quite recently, during the time of unrest after Yugoslavia’s breakup. I believe it was burned? Anyway, this is a common theme in the Balkans (or I guess in the world at large), especially in nationalistic towns like Prilep — a hatred of the other side leads to the neglect, vandalism, and even outright destruction of “their” historic monuments. Macedonians aren’t the only ones who did this, the monastery of Matejche was vandalized by Albanians. Unfortunately there is little to no political will to protect these holy sites. As a orthodox slav, I pray this mosque survives and can be used as a memorial to survival in the face of hatred.