page_title: Bazaar of Pristina
section_title: Social context
hierarchical_section_title: Bazaar of Pristina / Urban and social context of the Bazaar / Social context
caption_attribution_description: English: Old Bazaar of Prishtina
context_page_description: The Bazaar of Prishtina, Kosovo, was the core merchandising center of the Old Prishtina since the 15th century, when it was built. It played a significant role in the physical, economic, and social development of Pristina. The Old Bazaar was destroyed during the 1950s and 1960s, following the modernization slogan of "Destroy the old, build the new". In its place, buildings of Kosovo Assembly, Municipality of Prishtina, PTT, and Brotherhood and Unity socialist square were built. Nowadays, instead of PTT building resides the Government of Kosovo building. Only few historical buildings, such as the Bazaar Mosque and ruins of the Bazaar Hammam have remained from the Bazaar complex. Since then, Prishtina has lost part of its identity, and its cultural heritage has been scattered.
context_section_description: Bazaar was the most important trade and crafts center. It was famous for its annual trade fairs and goat hide and hair articles. Most notable traders were Jews, who were relatively educated and besides their own language also spoke Turkish, Serbo-Croatian, and Albanian. Bazaar of Pristina was also visited by other traders, mostly by Ragusans (from nowadays Dubrovnik), who became a vast colony. Being in such crossroads, Bazaar served as a linkage of local and other foreign craftsmen.
  Craftsmanship and commerce networks were organized in guilds. Guilds were an Ottoman model of the corporate economy organizations. They protected economic, social, political, military, religious, educational and other craftsmen interests. These guilds had a common voluntary fund, which was used to financially support poor and ill craftsmen, to educate young artisans, to establish schools and build some public buildings. On the other hand, they controlled the economic life, especially the tanners and bakers guilds, which controlled the prices.
  Besides trading, Bazaar of Pristina was also the main place for public encounters. Its shops were also used for blood feud reconciling, selling and purchasing of property, affiancing procedures, setting of marriage dates, developing patriotic feelings, and cultivating trust or Besa. Closeness of shops made people get closer with each other. There was a lot of respect among them. People used to hang around and drink tea with each other in front of their shops. Whenever a new shop opened, people used to throw coins on the ground, believing that this superstitious act would bring fortune. Other signs of good luck were horseshoes, and garlic head or horn.
caption: Old Bazaar of Prishtina
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