Caršija (Old Town)

How are we to distinguish the towns on the Balkan peninsula which were under Habsburg monarchy from the ones which were under Ottoman emporium? The latter have caršija. Caršija is an old merchant center, a legacy from the times of Ottomans. Through time it has been creating and shaping the atmosphere of towns and lifestyle of its inhabitants. Skopje, the capital of Republic of Macedonia has such caršija, which managed to preserve itself through many historical changes as well as the earthquake in the 60's of the previous century. Due to recent political situation and Albanian - Macedonian conflicts, caršija is nowadays mostly avoided by Macedonians. It is labeled as 'dirty', 'dangerous', and 'Albanian'. Short documentary is a portrait of caršija and craftsmen who have workshops there. At the same time it tries to reveal the reasons why caršija has been slowly loosing its role and position in the life of Skopje's inhabitants.