Hamam and mosque, a photo from Skopje, West

Photographer's Note

To complete the short series of hamams in the Balkans, here the dome of the Cifte Hamam in the Old Bazaar in Skopje. It is better visible in WS but in this picture, we can see also the mosque.
It was a rainy Sunday in Skopje, the streets were almost empty, the shops were closed. This part of Skopje reminded me of the Old Town in Baku.

The Old Bazaar (Stara čaršija) is situated on the eastern bank of the Vardar River, stretching from the Stone Bridge to the Bit-Pazar and from the Skopje Fortress to the Serava river. As one of the oldest and largest marketplaces in the Balkans, it has been Skopje's centre for trade and commerce since at least the 12th century. The Old Bazaar is still home to several active mosques, türbes, two churches and a clocktower.
Cifte hamam was built in the mid-15th century by Bosnian general Isa-Beg Ishaković in order to provide a regular source of income for his endowment.
The Murat-Pasha Mosque is located in the very center of the Old Skopje Bazaar in Skopje, near the Chifte Amam. According to the inscription on the marble plaque above the entrance door in the Murat-Pasha mosque, it is explained in Arabic that it was built around 1802 and 1803, after burning in the 1689 fire.

In the Workshops, the view of the hamam and a photo from the interior.

I liked the centre of Skopje although it is monumental and rather kitschy. There are many photos of the centre and much less the view of the Old Bazaar.

PiotrF, holmertz, PaulVDV, pierrefonds, mcmtanyel, ikeharel, COSTANTINO, ChrisJ, jhm, adramad, aliabazari heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

PiotrF (54246) 2021-11-27 11:31

czesc Malgo
Przystanek w Skopje, to specyfika wyjazdów r, ale zawsze co¶ siê zobaczy. Pogoda do fot nie dopisa³a ale za to warto poczytaæ!
superb
pozdrawiam
Piotr

holmertz (101988) 2021-11-27 11:47

Hello Malgo,
I stayed in this part of Skopje and liked it much better than the kitschy center. There was nothing wrong with the Slavic Macedonian areas, but I found the Albanian Muslim district nicer. The rainy day gave the street a nice wet look with fine reflections.
Kind regards,
Gert

PaulVDV (62802) 2021-11-27 12:28

Hello Malgo,
Very surprising to see this part of Skopje in rainy weather. I was there during the summer and it was quite warm. The wet and empty streets give this district a different view. But I have to admit that despite the bad weather your photos look much nicer than mine.
Besides the beautiful architecture, I'm also impressed by the road surface. To be honest, I didn't really notice this during my visit. I'll have to check my photos.
In any case, this part of the city appears very attractive in your main photo.
I wasn't sure if it were toilets you show us in your WS.
A similar photo can also be found on the Wikipedia site. The English version says 'bathing rooms' while the Turkish version mentions 'Eski yıkanma odaları'. Translated into Dutch this gives 'old toilets'. So you were right.
Best regards, Paul

Silvio1953 (220605) 2021-11-27 13:05

Ciao cara Malgo, great view of fantastic mosque, despite bad weather, wonderful colors, splendid light, fine details and excellent clarity, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

lousat (138609) 2021-11-27 15:19

Ciao Malgo,in fact those in the WS could be toilets, they seem too low to be sinks..ehehe.bel post, this time from Macedonia, to complete this short series dedicated to Balkan Turkish baths, perfect catches despite the rainy day. Have a nice Sunday and thanks,Luciano

pierrefonds (113590) 2021-11-27 15:29

Hi Malgo,

The rain is giving a speccial mood to the scene. The point of view is showing the details of the hamam and of the Mosque. The light is giving good colors rendering. Have a nice day.

Pierre

ifege (46951) 2021-11-27 17:47

Hi Malgo
And ... another hamam although is is a bit hidden. It is a good town centre photo featuring the mosque. The 2 WS photos give us a much better view of the hamam.
cheers
Ian

mcmtanyel (67657) 2021-11-27 20:04

Hello Malgo,
A lovely scene (or three) from Üsküp (Turkish for Skopje). Çifte hamam means "double hamam." Çarşı (čaršija) is Turkish for marketplace and bit pazarı is literally louse bazaar (equivalent of the English term, flea market). So many remnants from the Ottoman times...
Regards,
MT
PS. Paul's translator mistranslated "Eski yıkanma odaları." It literally means "old washing rooms." So the English version is correct with the word "old" missing.

COSTANTINO (115539) 2021-11-27 22:48

Hello dear Malgorzata
the weather is rainy in Greece too...
but i love photos like this one
with a rainy atmosphere...
regards
Costantino

ChrisJ (171222) 2021-11-27 22:58

Hello Malgo

I do not think there would be a toilet inside a Turkish style steam bath. That is a basin for clean water which is scooped and ladled over a lathered body to wash away the suds. They would sit on the raised blocks of stone. Even in Sinop prison Hamam in Turkey, there was no toilet inside. Prisoners had to go to the latrine outside and were only allowed to wash inside the hamam. Good shot btw. This is the part of Skopje Gert liked. I liked all of it. Tfs!

ikeharel (112439) 2021-11-28 1:42

Hi Malgo,
The rain had given a shine to the stone-pavement, enhanced colors on the surrounding and the outcome is fairly well shown even as sky were gray. Looks as this quarter known mostly for the local people.
Have a nice sunady,
Ike

Gerrit (62042) 2021-11-28 6:29

Hello Malgo,
together with Paul you give a fantastic view on the Ottoman collection of buildings still left in Macedonia, Realy impressive,
thanks and regards,
Gerrit

jhm (211734) 2021-11-28 9:36

Hello Malgo,

Today we are neighbours on TE.
You chose a nice angle between the buildings, the wet floor cares for a lovely reflection.
Everything it seems a quiet area.
Also perfect perspective and depth image.
Nice composition lovely presentation.
Very well done, TFS

Best regards,
John

Tue (91574) 2021-11-28 10:17

Hello Malgo,
You were unlucky with such a rainy day, but the foreground still added some nice and warm colours. A good photo of the square with the minaret at left and the dome at right.
Lars

adramad (72562) 2021-11-30 9:42

Hello Malgo.
Splendid composition with these beautiful buildings full of charm, the bad day makes the street look deserted, the shine of the rain gives a nice shine on the pavement.
Good coloring, with a splendid management of both lighting and sharpness to see the details well.
Very good work that I enjoy.
Have a nice day
All the best for you.
Luis.

aliabazari (21271) 2022-04-04 0:19

Hello Malgorzata
Beautiful view of the bathroom and mosque. Good combination with sidewalks and vendors. Clarity and lighting done well. There is also a beautiful shot of everyday life. The workshop pictures show well.