Shkodër Bazaar
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The Shkodër Bazaar (also known as the Grand Bazaar or the Old Bazaar) was the economic and civic hub of Shkodër, Albania for centuries and was one of the most important trade hubs in the Western Balkans.[1] After the rise of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania in 1944, the bazaar became a camp for refugees from the Orthodox population of Greek-speaking Albanians fleeing the Greek Civil War. In 1968, the bazaar was demolished and replaced with a park.[2]
The Bazaar lay at the foot of Rozafa Castle, about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south of the modern city center, on the plain stretching to the bank of the Buna.[3] According to legend, the bazaar dates to before the city fell to the Ottoman Empire and once stretched all the way to the Qafa neighborhood. This is attested to in Marin Barleti’s book on the Siege of Shkodra in 1478-79.