Çairi of Skopje: Isolation, Causes, and Underdevelopment Compared to the Orthodox Part of the City
Study by Flamur Bucpapaj
“A people who remain divided on their own land lose the consciousness of their roots and future; but only in unity and recognition of their rights can they build a bright destiny.”
The Unofficial Ethnic Border
After World War II, the Vardar River in Skopje took on a function much more symbolic than geographical: it transformed into an unwritten boundary between the “Macedonian Skopje” and the “Albanian Skopje.” This division was never formalized in official documents but became evident in daily life—from population concentration and distribution of services to the way public investments were directed toward one side of the river.
The western and northern parts of the city, where Çairi is located, remained predominantly Albanian-populated, while the southern and eastern parts were dominated by Orthodox Macedonians. This silent boundary influenced the city’s development: while the Macedonian side benefited from infrastructure, education, and industrial investments, the Albanian side was often left out of long-term development plans.
This spatial division had visible social and cultural consequences. Citizen mobility, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange were limited, reinforcing stereotypes and maintaining a lasting distance between the two communities. For many decades, the Vardar River was not simply a natural element of Skopje’s landscape — it became an invisible line dividing two urban realities within the same city.
Skopje during the Ottoman Empire – A Historical and Demographic Overview
Entry into Ottoman Rule and Urban Transformation
During the Ottoman period, Skopje was one of the most important administrative, commercial, and military centers in the Central Balkans. Situated at a strategic crossroads linking Anatolia with Central Europe and the Adriatic with Thrace, the city served as a communication hub and control point for the Ottoman Empire.
This favorable geographic position directly influenced the ethnic and cultural structure of Skopje, creating a typically multiethnic and multicultural environment.
Urban Structure and the Role of Çairi
Çairi formed the heart of old Skopje. It stretched along the northeastern side of the Vardar River, encompassing the large bazaar (Great Çarshia), monumental mosques, hammams, caravanserais, and commercial buildings that formed the core infrastructure of the urban economy.
Unlike the newer parts of the city built later on the opposite side of the river, Çairi was designed and developed according to Ottoman urban typology: narrow, winding streets; neighborhoods divided by religious and ethnic communities (mahalles); covered markets; and public spaces integrated with commercial life.
Ethnic and Demographic Composition
From the 17th to 19th centuries, Çairi and its surroundings were mainly inhabited by Muslim Albanians, Turks, and Bosniaks. Albanians owned a large portion of commercial properties and surrounding lands, while Turks often held administrative and military positions in the city.
The Bosniak presence related to earlier migrations after Austro-Ottoman wars, while Jewish and Roma communities also had their distinct spaces within the urban structure. This ethnic mix made Çairi a unique cultural mosaic where Albanian, Ottoman Turkish, Bosniak, and Hebrew languages were used side-by-side in markets and public life.
Economy and Trade
Çairi was the economic center of Skopje. The large bazaar, with over 30 specialized streets for different categories of goods (silversmiths, coppersmiths, textiles, leather, food, tools), played an irreplaceable role in supplying not only the city but also surrounding regions.
Albanian merchants controlled trade networks extending from Thessaloniki to Ragusa (Dubrovnik), and from Istanbul to Sarajevo, enabling the circulation of both Oriental and European goods. Caravanserais like “Kurshumli Han” and “Kapan Han” were essential stops for foreign traders and travelers passing through Skopje.
Architecture and Urban Life
The architecture of Çairi was in complete harmony with the Ottoman urban style:
Monumental mosques like Mustafa Pasha Mosque (1492) and Jahja Pasha Mosque represented not only centers of religious life but also educational and social institutions.
Hammams such as the Dvoj Hammam and Murat Pasha Hammam served hygienic functions and social meeting places.
Schools and madrasas prepared generations of intellectuals and clerics.
Narrow cobblestone streets provided shaded spaces protecting the neighborhood from summer heat and making it easier to defend against the dangers of the time.
Lifestyle and Social Relations
Life in Çairi was structured around the community (mahalle) principle: each neighborhood had its mosque, water fountain, local shops, and a strong solidarity network among residents. Relations between ethnic communities were mostly commercial and mutually necessary, though cultural and religious boundaries remained clear.
Strategic Position and Political Influence
As a key node on trade routes, Çairi and its merchants had considerable influence in local decision-making. Albanians of Çairi were often among the main contributors of taxes and food for the Ottoman garrisons in Skopje. This strong economic position would decline only after the beginning of the Ottoman Empire’s disintegration.
Ottoman Rule in Skopje began in 1392, transforming the city into a strategic administrative and military hub in Rumelia. Its location near the mouth of the Serava River into the Vardar strengthened this role.
During this period, the Stone Bridge (built between 1451–1469) and iconic buildings like the “Çifte Hamams,” bezistans, and madrasas were constructed, mostly under the patronage of figures such as Isa Beg and Daut Pasha.
Ethnic Composition and Demographic Shortcomings
Skopje’s population became complicated due to the mixture of communities: after the initial conquest, much of the Christian population retreated to the mountains, while the city was repopulated with Muslims from Asia Minor and local Islamized elements.
According to the general census of 1881/82–1893, the Sanjak of Skopje had approximately 70,170 inhabitants: ethnic composition included 40,256 Muslims, 22,497 Bulgarians (Christians), 6,655 Greeks, 724 Jews, and 38 Latins.
Çairi – The Core of the Old Bazaar
Çairi, part of Skopje’s Old Bazaar, represented the urban administrative and commercial core. It hosted the large bazaar, hammams (public baths), caravanserais like Kurshumli Han and Kapan Han, as well as structures such as the bezistan and madrasas — maps clearly show this structural concentration. Ethnocultural Diversity within Çairi
Although there are no specific records solely for Çairi, early Ottoman documents show that the neighborhoods around the city included Albanian, Slavic, and Aromanian names and elements. For example, the cadastral register of 1451–52 mentions a neighborhood called “Gjin-ko (Gjinaj),” with both Albanian and Slavic names, as well as a mahalla named “Todor Vlaja-Vlha,” featuring personalities with mixed names (Albanian-Romanian and Slavic). This attests to the ethnic diversity and cultural integration that characterized Çairi.
Economic Spheres and Demographic Fluctuations
Over the centuries, Çairi grew as a prosperous commercial center—specialized marketplaces (textiles, leather, silver, food) and international trade networks connected the city with Thessaloniki, Dubrovnik, and beyond.
The city’s total population varied across periods: between 30,000 and 60,000 inhabitants in the 15th century; a sharp decline following the destruction of 1689–1712 (marked by plague and fires); followed by recovery by the late 19th century, reaching about 30,000 inhabitants again before the First Balkan War.
Urban and Political Isolation of Çairi: A Comparative Analysis
Political Factors of Isolation
Discriminatory Urban Policies
From the era of socialist Yugoslavia up to the independent state of North Macedonia, Çairi has often been treated as a “non-priority” area for public investments. The official rationale was to preserve the “oriental character,” a tacit code implying the area’s incomplete integration into the modernist and European-oriented image of Skopje. This exclusion was not only aesthetic but also economic and infrastructural: worn-out roads, lack of quality public spaces, and overlooked development projects.
Compared to the Orthodox parts of the city, especially the modern center of Skopje, Çairi remained outside urban development strategies that favored monumental architecture and Western-style road networks.
Lack of Real Political Representation
Until the late 1990s, Albanians in Skopje had limited representation in local decision-making institutions. Municipal councils and urban administrations were dominated by Macedonian political elites, who often viewed Çairi more as a social problem than a development potential.
This lack of political influence resulted in ignoring the priorities of the Albanian community: lack of investments in education, infrastructure, and sustainable economic projects. Only after the Ohrid Agreement (2001) did a slow process of institutional integration begin, but decades of isolation had already left deep marks.
Policy of Ethnic Segregation
An implicit yet present element was maintaining an invisible boundary between “New Skopje” and “Old Çairi.” Urban interventions often reinforced this division, making Çairi an “ethnic island” within the city. Consequently, development aimed not at integration but spatial segmentation—a strategy known in other former Yugoslav cities where ethnic coexistence was seen as a political risk.
Comparison with Similar Spaces in the Region
This phenomenon is not unique to Skopje.
Sarajevo: The old neighborhood “Baščaršija” was preserved as an oriental tourist zone but was not integrated into modern city planning until after the 2000s, remaining with minimal public investments for decades.
Prishtina: The old neighborhood near the Old Bazaar was partially erased by urban interventions, replaced by rapid concrete projects without preserving the area’s socio-economic function.
Tetovo: Although a majority Albanian city, the historic center developed mostly through private investments due to a lack of state strategies for integrated development.
In all these cases, a common element is the combination of political exclusion with a cultural narrative of “exoticism,” which serves as justification for the lack of public investments.
Economic Factors of Çairi’s Isolation
For decades, Çairi’s economy has been limited by structural factors and discriminatory policies that hindered its sustainable development.
Dominance of Small Trade
The neighborhood’s economic tradition was built on the historic bazaar and small family-run services. Although this model preserved the community’s cultural and economic identity, it failed to provide sustained growth, mass employment, or inclusion in high value-added sectors.
Exclusion from Industrial Zones and New Economic Centers
Post-World War II urban and industrial policies directed large enterprises and industrial zones mostly to other parts of Skopje. Çairi was left out of these development plans, losing the opportunity to benefit from state investments in infrastructure and jobs.
Lack of Access to Capital and Investments
Bank credit, state subsidies, and private investments rarely targeted Çairi. Bureaucratic obstacles, ethnic prejudices, and lack of representation in economic structures have forced local businesses to rely mainly on their own capital, limiting expansion and modernization.
These combined factors created an economic isolation cycle where lack of investment leads to slow development, which in turn is used to justify further lack of investment.
Socio-Cultural Factors
Ethnic and Cultural Stigmatization
In recent decades, Çairi has faced continuous stigmatization from parts of Macedonian politics and media, often built on stereotypes inherited from the post-war and post-Yugoslav transition period. This one-sided portrayal of the area as “backward,” “non-modern,” or socially underdeveloped created a clear gap between public perception and the lived reality of its residents.
This media and political discourse not only affected community self-confidence but also had tangible effects on residents’ economic and social opportunities. Stigmatization contributed to isolating the area from urban integration and equal development processes, negatively impacting Çairi’s access to investment projects, modern infrastructure, and joint cultural activities at the city level.
At the same time, this negative narrative deepened ethnic divisions in Skopje, positioning Çairi as a “different space” within the city—a place many residents from other parts of Skopje perceive as foreign, despite it being an organic part of its history and identity. This symbolic division led Çairi to develop a culture of resistance, preserving its language, customs, and historical heritage, often in contrast to trends of cultural homogenization.
This process had a dual effect: on one hand, it strengthened the collective identity of the Albanian community and other communities living in Çairi; on the other, it hindered building bridges of cooperation between the neighborhood and the rest of the city, preserving inherited tensions and mutual distrust.
Urban Policies and Infrastructure
Selective Urban Planning
Urban development plans for Skopje after the 1963 earthquake oriented modern buildings, state institutions, and infrastructure investments toward the western and southern parts of the city, where the Orthodox Macedonian population was the majority. Meanwhile, Çairi remained spatially constrained, with narrow streets, worn infrastructure, and lack of green spaces.
Unequal Public Services
Schools, health centers, and cultural institutions in Çairi were often underfunded, affecting the quality of education and health services for Albanian residents.
Lack of Integration into the Modern Transport Network
Public transport connections to the city’s main economic centers were often limited or neglected, making access to the labor market and city services more difficult for Çairi’s residents.
Urban Policies and Infrastructure
Selective Urban Planning – The urban development plans of Skopje after the 1963 earthquake directed modern constructions, state institutions, and infrastructure investments primarily toward the western and southern parts of the city, where the Orthodox Macedonian population was the majority. Meanwhile, Çairi remained spatially limited, with narrow streets, worn-out infrastructure, and a lack of green spaces.
Unequal Public Services – Schools, health centers, and cultural institutions in Çairi were often underfunded, which affected the quality of education and healthcare services for the Albanian residents.
Lack of Integration into the Modern Transport Network – Public transport connections to the main economic areas of Skopje were often limited or neglected, making access more difficult for Çairi residents to the labor market and city services.
These consequences are not only material but also social and cultural, creating a divided reality within a city that has historically been a mosaic of multiethnic coexistence.
Deteriorated Infrastructure and Lack of Public Spaces
One of the most tangible effects of isolation is the poor state of urban infrastructure in Çairi. Roads are often worn out, with a lack of maintenance and investments in the water supply and sewage systems, lighting, and recreational areas. Meanwhile, public spaces are few and often inadequate, preventing the development of cultural, sports, and social activities in the neighborhood. This reduced infrastructure condition not only lowers quality of life but also negatively influences external perceptions of the area and its ability to attract private investments.
Significant Differences in Quality of Life
Compared to the western and southern parts of Skopje, Çairi presents a marked inequality in access to basic services such as education, healthcare, public transport, and employment opportunities. Schools are often overcrowded and lacking infrastructure, while health centers do not meet modern standards.
This worsens the chances for personal and professional development of residents, especially young people, contributing to internal migration and loss of human capital in the neighborhood.
Preservation and Deepening of Ethnic and Cultural Polarization
Isolation and institutional neglect have also impacted social and cultural aspects. The absence of urban and social integration projects has strengthened ethnic and cultural divisions among Skopje’s communities.
Çairi remains a symbol of Albanian and Muslim identity, while the rest of the city preserves Macedonian and Orthodox characteristics. This division affects interpersonal relations, institutional cooperation, and the creation of a shared citizenship.
Moreover, ongoing media and political stigmatization of Çairi reinforces divisions and complicates intercultural interaction and building mutual trust.
Long-term Consequences
If immediate measures and sustainable integration strategies are not undertaken, the consequences of isolation could deepen further, risking not only the well-being of Çairi’s residents but also the social stability of the entire city of Skopje. Urban integration, economic development, and intercultural dialogue are essential elements for overcoming these challenges and building an inclusive and functional city.
The Solution: Separation or Policy Change?
Facing the complex problems of Çairi’s isolation, two fundamental approaches emerge:
Territorial or Political Separation
This approach would consider Çairi as a distinct entity, with greater administrative autonomy, or as part of a more independent local unit within or outside Skopje. This would provide the advantage of more direct decision-making by the local community and a focused approach to solving specific problems.
However, separation carries risks: it could deepen ethnic divides, hinder civic integration, and fragment the city into enclaves with differing interests and development standards. It could also lead to even greater economic and social isolation, widening the gap with other parts of Skopje and creating further segregation patterns.
Change of Urban and Social Policies
The more sustainable and expert-recommended alternative is to change institutional policies to build an integrative development model. This would include:
Stronger political representation for the Çairi community at decision-making levels, ensuring participation in planning and public investments.
Targeted and direct investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and cultural spaces to equalize the quality of life with the rest of the city.
Promotion of intercultural dialogue and projects that help break stereotypes and ethnic divisions.
A comprehensive urban plan that eliminates spatial segregation and promotes the development of a shared citizenship.
Çairi’s isolation is not simply an accidental result of lack of investments or political will, but a product of intertwined political, economic, and socio-cultural factors that have created a deep divide between this neighborhood and the rest of Skopje.
Resolving this complex issue requires sustained and comprehensive commitment through changes in institutional and urban policies that promote equal representation, targeted investments, and intercultural dialogue.
Territorial separation or administrative division would deepen divisions and create new fractures, whereas policy change through integration and inclusive development is the safest path toward a fairer, united city with a sustainable future.
Only through a comprehensive and balanced policy can the historical isolation of Çairi be broken, building a future where all Skopje citizens feel part of a shared community with equal opportunities and well-being
