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Photo: Kiril Simeonovski, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Near the Clock Tower and Sultan Murat Mosque is this türbe (mausoleum) which contains the remains of the second bey of Skopje, Ishak Bey. It was built in the 15th century, but most of what is seen today is a recent reconstruction after the structure suffered severe damage through earthquakes and fires over time.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Саат-кула
Skopje’s clock tower, built in 1572, was the first in the entire Ottoman Empire, showing the importance of Skopje as a trading center. It takes 105 steps to reach the top of the hexagonal tower. It has more Islamic appearance than most other clock towers in North Macedonia. The clock on the clock tower was brought from Szeged, Hungary but it disappeared during the chaos after the 1963 earthquake and today is in a clock museum in Switzerland. It is located near the Sultan Murat Mosque.
Султан-муратова џамија
Built in 1436, the Sultan Murat Mosque may be the oldest surviving mosque in the Balkans. It is also one of the largest mosques in North Macedonia. It was built with money donated by Sultan Murat II himself and whenever adjustments or repairs were needed, the sultan at the time would pay for it. It stands on a plateau next to the Clock Tower, where a monastery used to stand prior to Ottoman invasion. The fortifications of the monastery still stand around the plateau. The main architect of the mosque was Hussein from Debar. It is rectangular in shape, with a porch including four columns with decorated caplets, connected by arcades. Near the eastern facade is a tomb build in 1774 containing the remains of the wife and daughter of Ali Pasha of Dagestan. It is hexagonal with an open design. Another mausoleum, perhaps the biggest Ottoman one in the country, stands south of the mosque.
Иса-бегова џамија
Built in 1475 by Isa Bey. The unique feature of this mosque is that it has two main domes. The mosque also has a 5-domed porch and a single minaret. The mosque is behind the Čair Hospital across the street from Bit Pazar. In the past, the mosque was a major educational and literary center.
Исхак-бегова џамија
Built in 1438 by Ishak Bey, a year before his death. He led the army that conquered Macedonia and later settled in Skopje. The mosque was beautifully decorated with glazed tiles in different shades of blue, but it suffered greatly during the fire of 1689, and was rebuilt afterwards without the tile decorations. The six-sided türbe (mausoleum) that stands next to the mosque didn’t suffer in the fire and still has its unique tiles. Ishak Bey established one of the first Islamic libraries in Europe in the mosque. The mosque has a large dome, in addition to multiple smaller ones, and a 30-m (98-ft) tall minaret.
Мурат-пашина џамија
This mosque, built in 1803, was built in the Ottoman Baroque style. It sits in a well-frequented location at the confluence of two major streets. The fountain in the yard was built in 1937. It has one minaret.
Чифте амам
The Çifte Hamam (Turkish for "double bath") was built in the middle of the 15th century by Isa Bey Ishaković. It was used as both a male and female bath, but unlike Daut Pasha Hamam where both parts go parallel to each other, here the heating room is in the middle and the entrances are on the opposite sides. It has two main domes and multiple smaller ones. Today it is used as a gallery for temporary exhibits of the National Art Gallery, which is mainly housed in Skopje's other major hamam.