Ottoman Heritage Of The Balkans

Itinerary

Welcome to Macedonia

Meeting with your driver and local host

Pick up and transfer from Skopje airport to the hotel

Skopje

Skopje city tour by walking in the afternoon

Skopje is a city in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula. It communicates easily with the Mediterranean region to the south and the area of Central and Northern Europe to the north. It is located 240 m above sea level and occupies 1.818 km2, surrounded by mountain massifs, gorge valleys, many rivers, city with long history and traditional values, many legends about its increasing. Skopje is the birthplace of the famous humanist and Nobel prize winner Mother Teresa.

The Ottoman heritage of Skopje

Skopje Old bazaar

The most interesting part of Skopje

Skopje Old Bazaar (Stara Carshija) located on the left side of the river Vardar. Up to the present time the Bazaar has experienced several changes in the respect of appearance and the organization, but is still kept the spirit of the past. In the small innumerable handcraft shops, the Skopje's handicraftsmen can steel been seen, tailors, cobblers, quit markets tinsmiths etc. The Old market place is still alive and full with a vivid atmosphere which radiates from the small shops, coffee and tea rooms, always full with people.

Mustafa pasha mosque

The biggest mosque in Skopje

The mosque is located at the entrance of Skopje Old bazaar, right below Skopje fortress. The structure stands on a plateau above the old bazaar, built in 1492 by Mustafa Pasha. The mosque is largely intact from its original state, and no additions have been made through the years. The body of the daughter of Mustafa Pasha is buried in the "turbe" next to the mosque.

Daut Pasha hamam

Between old bazaar and the Stone Bridge

Daut Pasha Hamam is a historical monument of the Islamic culture and an excellent example of the Islamic architecture. The Hamam was built by Daut Pasha in the second half of the 15th century. The object was originally separated into male and female departments and covered an area of 900m2. In 1948 the Hamam was restored and adapted for its new function – art gallery. Redesigning of the interior was made in 1982 and 1999.

Kurshumli an

A recognizable historical heritage of Skopje

It is assumed that Kurshumli An (lead an) was built in the middle of the 16th century. It consisted of two parts - one for the placement of merchants and goods, and the other included the barn, the auxiliary rooms, and the rooms for the servants. For a long time it served as a gathering place for merchants and their caravans and played an important role in the development of the city's commercial life. It retained the role of a lodging until the end of the 19th century, and then it was converted into a prison. It is believed that it obtained its name during the 19th century, due to the roof that was made of lead. Impressive are the semi-circular walls on the second floor and the fountain in the middle of the an.

Stone Bridge

The symbol of Skopje

The Stone Bridge is a bridge across the Vardar River in Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. The Stone Bridge is built of solid stone blocks and is supported by firm columns that are connected with 12 semicircular arcs. The bridge is 214 m long and 6 m wide. The current Stone Bridge was built on Roman foundations under the patronage of Sultan Mehmed II, the Conqueror between 1451 and 1469. Most of the Stone Bridge originates from the Ottoman period and throughout the centuries, the Stone Bridge was often damaged and then repaired.

Tour to Kosovo

Full day tour to Kosovo and visit to the Ottoman heritage of this country

Pristina

Visit to the capital of Kosovo, Pristina

Pristina, the capital and largest city of Kosovo, which is also the administrative center of the country. Here, there is an optional visit to the Ethnology Museum (entrance fee apply).

Prizren

Explore the picturesque town of Prizren

Picturesque town of Prizren with its old bazaar and possibility to visit Sinan Pasha mosque. For those who like light hikes, there is the possibility to climb to the Prizren fortress and enjoy the scenic views of the valley.

Drive back to Skopje

West Macedonia sights

Painted mosque in Tetovo

Symbol of Tetovo

The Painted mosque was originally built in 1438 by the architect Isak Bey.[2] It is interesting that most mosques of the time had sultans, beys or pashas financing their constructions, but the Painted mosque however, was financed by two sisters from Tetovo. Unlike the traditional Ottoman ceramic tile decorations in mosques, this mosque has bright floral painting has bright floral painting. More than 30,000 eggs were used to prepare the paint and glaze that went into the elaborate decorations. The octagonal "türbe" houses the resting places of Hurshida and Mensure, the two sisters who financed the construction of the mosque.

Mavrovo National park

The biggest and the oldest national park in Macedonia

Mavrovo National Park encompasses the most beautiful parts of western Macedonia, the mountains Bistra, Korab, South Sar Massifs, Desat, the river Radika, Mavrovo Lake and the villages Mavrovi Anovi, Mavrovo, Leunovo, Nikiforovo, Galicnik, Rostuse, Gari, Jance, Tresonce, Bituse and Lazaropole, with total area of 73,088 hectares. In order to preserve the natural wealth of the region, it has been designated as a National Park on March 3rd 1952.

Ohrid and Ohrid lake

Our experienced local guide will be at your disposal during the Ohrid walking tour (2-3 hours light walking)

Because of the religious importance and its numerous churches and monasteries, Ohrid is also famous under the name “Macedonian Jerusalem”. According the history facts, there used to be 365 churches – a church for each day! In 12th century, the city was also the seat of Archbishop of Ohrid. Since 1979 the city and the lake of Ohrid are under protection of UNESCO.

Ohrid fortress of Tsar Samoil

It is located on the highest peak of Ohrid hill, overlooking the lake and the city.

According to recent excavations by Macedonian archaeologists, it was contended that this fortress was built on the place of an earlier fortification, dated to the 4th century BC, which was probably built by King Philip II. Admission fee included in the price.

Bitola and Prespa lake

Full day to Bitola, city famous as Monastir during the Ottoman rule and visit to the city sights

Bitola

Bitola, also known as the town of consuls, lies at an altitude of 600 m above sea level, in the southern part of Pelagonija Plain. About two kilometers from the center of the city, like a large statue from the time of Filip II of Macedon stands the ancient city of Heraklea. Bitola got its present name during the time of the Macedonian Tsar Samuel. Pelister Mountain is found on the outskirts of Bitola. Its richness in flora and fauna makes Pelister a National Park, with well-known ski resort and the two small lakes known as “ Pelisterski Oci ” ( Pelister Eyes ).

The Clock tower

The most famous site in Bitola

It is unknown when Bitola's Clock Tower was built. Written sources from the 16th century mention a clock tower, but are not clear if it is the same one. Some believe it was built as the same time as St. Dimitius church in 1830. Legend says that the Ottoman authorities collected around 60000 eggs from nearby villages and mixed them in the mortar to make the walls stronger. 

Welcome to Albania

Drive from Ohrid to Tirana

Berat

The city of 1000 windows

Berat is a city on the Osum River, in central Albania. It's known for its white Ottoman houses. On a hilltop, Berat Castle is a huge compound now inhabited by townspeople. Within its walls are Byzantine churches, the Red Mosque and the Onufri National Museum, with Christian icons. East is the Ethnographic Museum, in an 18th-century house, displaying traditional crafts and part of a reconstructed medieval bazaar.

Tirana

The Albanian capital

Tirana, the capital of Albania, is known for its colorful Ottoman-, Fascist- and Soviet-era architecture. Pastel buildings surround the city's focal point, Skanderbeg Square, which is named for its equestrian statue of a national hero. On the square's north end is the modernist National History Museum, covering prehistoric times through Communist rule and the anti-Communist uprisings of the 1990s.

From Tirana to Montenegro

Morning Tirana city tour and drive north towards Montenegro coastline

The National museum

The biggest Albanian museum

Welcome to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Drive towards Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Blagaj

The Dervish monastery

Blagaj is a village-town in the south-eastern region of the Mostar basin. Blagaj was most likely named for its mild weather patterns since blaga in Serbo-Croatian means "mild". Blagaj is situated at the spring of the Buna river and a historical tekke(tekija or Dervish monastery). The Blagaj tekija was built around 1520, with elements of ottoman architecture and Mediterranean style and is considered a national monument. Blagaj Tekke is a monastery built for the Dervish.

Mostar

Guided city tour

Mostar is a city in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, straddling the Neretva River. It’s known for the iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge), a reconstructed medieval arched bridge. The nearby alleys are full of shops and market stalls, and the Old Bridge Museum explores the bridge’s long history. A narrow staircase leads up to the Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque’s minaret for panoramic city views.

The Ottoman heritage for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Old bridge Mostar

the most famous sign of Herzegovina

Stari Most (literally 'Old Bridge'), also known as Mostar Bridge, is a rebuilt 16th-century Ottoman bridge in the city of Mostar that crosses the river Neretva and connects the two parts of the city. The Old Bridge stood for 427 years, until it was destroyed on 9 November 1993 by Croatian paramilitary forces during the Croat-Bosniak was. Subsequently, a project was set in motion to reconstruct it; the rebuilt bridge opened on 23 July 2004. The bridge is considered an exemplary piece of Balkan Islamic architecture and was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557.

Sarajevo

The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a compact city on the Miljacka River, surrounded by the Dinaric Alps. Its center has museums commemorating local history, including Sarajevo 1878–1918, which covers the 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, an event that sparked World War I. Landmarks of the old quarter, Baščaršija, include the Ottoman-era Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque. 

Sarajevo - meeting of cultures

Possibility to have some more visits before transfer to Sarajevo airport