The Dervishi Family – A day that begins in darkness

At the entrance to the market, where passersby most often pause, stands the Dervishi family stall. For the past 12 years, they have brought produce from their greenhouses: bright red tomatoes picked the night before.

Luljeta Dervishi, warmly dressed, with hands hardened by years of work in the soil, begins her day at 4 a.m. “We have no middlemen. What people get here is what we harvest ourselves,” she says, carefully arranging the crates with a precision that seems almost ritualistic.

Her children have grown up among the stalls, surrounded by the calls of customers and the scent of fresh produce. Today, regular customers address them by name. “When someone comes back just for last week’s tomatoes, you know that your work makes a difference,” she adds with a smile.

Dritani – The craftsman bringing the forest into the city

A short distance away, in a quieter corner of the market, Dritani carefully carves a wooden spoon with a small knife he has relied on for years. The fresh scent of wood surrounds him. His creations are not for eating, but are objects that embody a rich, longstanding family tradition.

“My grandfather spent his whole life working with wood. What I do here carries on that family craft,” he says.

The weekend market is an irreplaceable stage for him. “Here, people ask questions, look you in the eye, and explain why they want a particular item. You can’t find this kind of interaction on the internet,” says Dritani, as a young couple pauses, captivated by a small bowl carved with a traditional motif.

Elirsa – The New Generation Returning to the Land

In the heart of the market stands a meticulously arranged stall, where each product carries a label indicating its variety, harvest date, and cultivation method. This is the work of Elirsa, 29, an agronomist who, after completing her studies, chose to return to her home village.

“Consumers want transparency. It’s no longer enough to simply say something is ‘organic’—you have to show them,” she explains.

For Elirsa, the market is a social laboratory, offering insight into what people want, which varieties are most popular, and the trends of the season. Through modern cultivation techniques, she has boosted both her output and the curiosity of young shoppers who pause to learn more.

The Market – A Bridge Between Land and City

Amid this mosaic of people, trades, and personal stories, the weekend market is more than just a place to shop. It is a genuine meeting point between city and countryside, between the older generation and a new one that views agriculture through a modern lens.

For buyers, the market guarantees fresh and safe products. For vendors, it is where they showcase their labour, turning a long day of work into a family story.

Por mbi të gjitha, mbetet krenaria që secili prej tyre ndan. Sepse këtu nuk shitet vetëm një produkt—këtu shitet një pjesë e jetës së tyre, një histori e kaluar dorë më dorë, një traditë që zgjohet çdo fundjavë bashkë me tregun.

When the Stalls Close

As the day ends and the noise fades, only the traces of those who kept the market alive remain: the fatigue, the day’s accounts, the kind words exchanged between vendors, and the lists for the coming week.

But above all, there is the pride each of them carries. Here, it is not just a product that is sold—it is a piece of their lives, a story passed hand to hand, a tradition that awakens every weekend along with the market.