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Write: Melih Uslu Photo: Halit Ömer Camcı, Mevlüt Maşalacı, Bülent Katkak

The Balkans Without a Visa

The Balkans Without a Visa

Sister city: Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Capital of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sarajevo is a historic city brimming with vestiges of Ottoman culture. Perched on the two banks of the Miljacka River in a valley flanked by mountains, it exhibits a quintessential Balkan cultural synthesis. At one end of the avenues you can see historic mosques and khans; at the other, examples of classic European architecture. The main market, or Bashcharshi to the locals, is an historic district where the city’s character makes itself felt. Aka the Turkish Quarter, it is reminiscent of an old Anatolian town. In the center of market square, which is surrounded by wooden houses with tile roofs, stands an historic shadervan or fountain with pool. The jewelers, leather dealers and other artisans in the market, which also boasts an Ottoman period clock tower, practice their arts today as they did in the past.

Don’t mıss
• Library Building
• Latin Bridge
• Tunnel Museum

Salute to Rumeli:
skopje (Macedonia)Capital of Macedonia, Skopje lies in the upper reaches of the Vardar River. With traces of settlement going back six thousand years, the city was under Ottoman rule for more than five centuries. The 15th century Mustafa Pasha Mosque is one of its finest examples of Islamic architecture, and the multi-arched Stone Bridge has joined the two halves of the town for centuries. Skopje Castle is one of the first structures to attract attention in this city where modern and traditional exist side by side. Built by the Byzantines in the 6th century, its walls offer a fabulous view. The Old Bazaar, one of the Balkans’ most colorful open-air markets, promises a pleasant tour with its cobbled lanes and pastel-painted shops. The Church of Sveti Spas (Holy Salvation), whose courtyard houses the tombs of Macedonia’s national heroes, attracts visitors with its intricately carved wooden altar screen.

Hot Tips
Skopje was the birth place of one of the leading lights of Turkish literature, Yahya Kemal Beyatlı (1884-1958). A poet, Beyatlı is best known for his poems The Dome of Our Own Sky and Glorious Istanbul.

Don’t miss
• The Old Bazaar
• Skopje Castle
• Mustafa Pasha Mosque

Enjoying kafana in Belgrade
Capital of Serbia, Belgrade is a city worth seeing for its two-thousand-year history, its architectural wonders and its fascinating museums. And the quarter of Skadarlija is the best place for partaking in the extended pleasures of the traditional Slavic coffeehouse known as Kafana. Don’t miss the flea market in Novi Belgrad either.

On to the Adrıatıc: Tirana (Albania)
Capital of Albania, Tirana lies in the foothills of Mt. Daiti, a well-known national park and ski resort. The heart of the country’s culture and economy, the city is only 25 kilometers inland from the Adriatic. This city of green mountains and cultural diversity with a majority Muslim population is undergoing rapid change today. Old buildings are being razed and the beauty of the Lana River being laid bare. Parks are being enlarged, dining and shopping venues diversified. Scander Beg Square at the city center is encircled by museums and opera houses. All the avenues are laid out to end at this square. A portion of the upwards of a thousand Ottoman monuments in the country are in Tirana. Among them the most famous are Ethem Bey Mosque, Taner Bridge, the Clock Tower and Kaplan Pasha Tomb. Dubbed ‘the Pyramid’, the culture center meanwhile is one of the city’s most popular meeting places.

Young capital: Prishtina
Main artery of Prishtina, capital of Kosovo, Mother Theresa Boulevard is the city’s shopping, eating and drinking, and entertainment district. Other must-see sights here include the New Born Obelisk, symbol of independence in the city center, the National Museum, the University of Prishtina, and the Old Town with its traditional buildings.

Don’t miss
• Ethem Bey Mosque
• Tirana Archaeological
   Museum
• The Big Lake Park

Museum city: Zagreb (Croatia)
On the banks of the Sava River facing the southern slopes of Mt. Medvednica, Zagreb is the capital of Croatia. The city, which consists of two main districts very different in character, stands out for its museums, art galleries and dynamic urban lifestyle. Trg Bana Jelacica, the city’s main square, is a good place to start a tour. The old town, Gronji Grad,  is famous for its colorful market place and elegant buildings. Lotrscak Tower, built in the 13th century to defend the city gates, is ideal for a pleasant view. Donji Grad, Zagreb’s other historic district, is proud of its fashionable squares, broad avenues and tasteful gardens. Laid out on a grid plan, the district is also home to several museums. The Archaeological Museum, famous for its mummies, Croatian Natural History Museum full of remains from prehistoric eras, and the City Museum which chronicles the Zagreb’s development from the Romans to the present, are all worth seeing. Eastern Europe’s biggest park, Maximir, is also worth adding to your list.

Don’t miss
• Medvednica Nature Park
• St. Catherine’s Church
• Arts and Crafts Museum

Confluence of rivers:
podgorıca (montenegro)
Capital of Montenegro, Podgorica is one of the oldest settlements in the Balkans. Home of the Illyrian tribes in antiquity, the city still exhibits traces of the Ottomans, who ruled here for four hundred years starting from the 15th century. Sahat Kula is one of the first structures you will encounter on your tour of the old city (Stara Varos). Commissioned by Hajji Pasha Osmanagich, this clock tower is a historic and cultural monument. Sveti Djordje Church at the city center goes back to the Middle Ages. A large number of archaeological and ethnographic artifacts are exhibited at the City Museum. The Natural History Museum informs visitors about the richness of nature in Montenegro. The Petrovic Palace, noteworthy for its 19th century architecture, has been converted into an art center. With its broad squares and government buildings, the Nova Varos District symbolizes the city’s modern face. And Millennium Bridge over the Moraca River complements this beautiful scene.

Don’t miss
• Dajbabe Monastery
• The Ruins of Duklja
• The Town of Nemanjin Grad