The bazaar of Korca was one of the most reputed of the ottoman times in Albania. Indeed the relevance of korca as market and traders place started only after the decadence of the neighbor city of Voskopoje, but the bazaar became well known, mainly for quality of clothes, the variety of spices and the animals sold there (goats mainly). apparently it was a noisy busy place and very soon took the nickname of bazaar of serenates. Today it is a big market which keeps -around a big square-also some old streets fulled with small shops pretty much similar to eastern bazaars. In a parallel alley there is also a large food market occupying a long street and two big covered naves. all the area is bustling and colorfull.
Walking in the part of food supplies it is surprising the richness of spices: chillies, salep, chamomile, herbal teas. There are on sale several kinds of mountain honey. Also the reputed fasule, very big beans traditional from the region.
One of the sweetest corners in the bazaar are the two remaining caravansary. They are called han in Albanian, and keep all the atmosphere of very old times. The one is called Han Manastir. It has an small garden in the middle of the courtyard, with some old funerary steles and the remaining of an old gates. The upper side is used as stores for shops. In the down some shops of clothes and cleaning products and a beautiful coffee shop. By passing by the coffee some people called me. they were sitting
The other caravansary is the Han Elbasan. It has a pit in the middle and was reconstructed during communist time. is a busy place perfectly integrated in the market and people enters continuously looking for clothes or shoes in the small shops of the down part. As if centuries pass slower in this area.
Korca was always a crossroad. It must be so taken into consideration where is the city, and its history which passes over the current borders. A cosmopolitan air makes more fascinating the city and the market. In the entire bazaar it is easy to see posters and writes in Greek and to listen people speaking in Macedonian language.
