The Old Bazaar is an area of ancient historical, cultural and architectural values. Overall, two-storeyed buildings and narrow alleys are what characterize this place. Its construction style is noteworthy. For the past few conturies, the Old Bazaar has been a place wherein merchandise brought from Turkey, Greece, Trieste and Venice was exchanged. It was reputed for its successive inns, with the Elbasan Inn and the Manastir Inn being the most well-known. They hosted people arriving from outside of the city. The market, with around 1000 shops, reached its peak development towards late 19th century and early 20th century. The Old Bazaar formed an ensemble on its own against the urban structure of the city in the background. Wooden bridges connected both parts of the Old Bazaar which were divided by the river. A stone arched bridge with shops lining up on both sides, ensured continuity across the river of the main road coming from the city. On three occasions the Old Bazaar burned down, but it was rebuilt each time. The Old Bazaar is actually still in use and retains its historical and monumental values.
The old bazaar comprises 138 first category culture monuments. It is also called as the Bazaar of the Serenades, associated with the music which for centuries was composed and sung by people whilst walking with a guitar on the round cobblestone