The Marubi Museum is presenting the exhibition The Lost Bazaar of Shkodër: Reviving a Memory. It tells the story of how the city’s bazaar thrived on the power of water.

Curator Kim Knoppers explains that the Old Bazaar of Shkodër stood at the confluence of the Kir, Drin, and Buna rivers — with the Buna flowing into the Adriatic Sea. At its peak, the shores of Lake Shkodër and the Buna River were lined with dozens of anchored boats.

A unique boat market operated nearby, selling fresh fish and maritime goods. Although sometimes seen as a rival to the Grand Bazaar, the Old Bazaar functioned more as its natural extension.

The area hosted large warehouses, customs offices, banks, and nearly 1,500 shops, forming a dense commercial hub. The main Customs Office stood by the Buna Bridge, controlling regional trade.

These rivers not only shaped the Old Bazaar’s landscape but also fueled the daily rhythm of exchanges that once defined Shkodër’s vibrant economic life.

The exhibition is open daily from 09:00 to 19:00 at the Marubi Museum. Alongside objects from the Ethnographic Museum of Budapest — which testify to the life and craftsmanship of the Old Bazaar — it also explores the market’s deep connection to the sea and lake in the early 20th-century Balkans.

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