TIRANA, May 28 /ATA/-By Maela Marini/ – The Korça Old Bazaar Revitalization project has been nominated for the Emerging Europe Awards in London.
Emerging Europe is a London-based think tank committed to boosting the social and economic development of countries in Central and Eastern Europe and raising awareness about the region.
The Old Bazaar of Korça is one of the projects best showing the transformation of a degraded market to a wonderful attraction and an important centre for business development.
“Very proud of Korça,” Korça Mayor Sotiraq Filo wrote, sharing the news via “Facebook”. Filo also posted pictures featuring Korça Old Bazaar prior and after the revitalization project.
The Bazaar of Korca is an ensemble of trade, craft, and residential buildings with urban-architectural and artistic values that dates back to the 19th century. The collection of buildings is a testimony to the existence of craftsmen and tradesmen who at that time had a deep influence on the economic and social life of the country. The Korça bazaar features one and two-storey buildings, narrow alleys, and architectural style that attracts the visitors’ attention.
During past centuries, the bazaar has been the site of exchange for traders not only from Albania, but also from Turkey, Greece, Trieste and Venice.
The bazaar and market place reached its peak with over 1,000 stores and shop-fronts during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. According to the urban structure of the city, it creates an ensemble in its own. Both parts of the bazaar that were separated by the river, were joined by wooden bridges, while the main road coming from the town crossed the river on a stone bridge archway, above which rose shopping stores.
It burned down three times but was always rebuilt. Nowadays it continues to function just as before, giving significant historic and monumental values to the city.
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