Brusa bezistan, Ottoman market hall in Stari Grad, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Brusa bezistan is a stone market hall with a rectangular layout and a central corridor topped by eight domes that define its roofline. The solid structure sits directly in Bascarsija's center and shows its original purpose as a trading space for merchants and their goods.
Rustem-pasha, grand vizier under Sultan Sulejman the Magnificent, ordered this market hall built in 1551 as a major trading center. The construction was part of a broader development of Sarajevo during the Ottoman Empire's height in the region.
The name preserves a memory of Bursa, the Turkish city whose silk once filled its halls, connecting this building to trade routes that shaped the region. Walking inside, you can still sense how merchants organized their stalls and goods within the stone structure.
The building sits directly in Bascarsija, the oldest quarter, and is easy to reach on foot. The interior spaces are tight and the ceiling is low, so prepare for a close, enclosed feeling inside.
The construction visibly shows how the Ottomans wove European building techniques into their own design, a rare blend of two traditions. This hall remains one of the few standing examples of this kind of merchant building in Southeast Europe.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
