Ottoman Echoes: Sarajevo to Ohrid

Day 1. Arrival in Sarajevo.

After luggage and passport procedures, we head to the city center for a Sarajevo city tour. On arrival we get off the bus in front of the city’s landmark central library building and begin our walking tour. After seeing the central library, the surprisingly storied Inat Kuca, the Latin Bridge built during the Ottoman period, and the spot where Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were shot — the event that sparked World War I — we continue toward the city’s heart, Baščaršija. The tour continues with Sebil Square, named after the sebil (public water fountain), a tradition from the Ottoman Empire, and proceeds through the streets of Baščaršija, which have preserved their historic character. Other sites we will see include Kuršumlija Madrasa, Morica Han, Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, and the Clock Tower. On Sarajevo’s most popular street, Ferhadija, we’ll see buildings reflecting Austro-Hungarian period architecture, the Catholic Cathedral, Markale Market, and the covered market. Our tour will end at the Eternal Flame monument, dedicated to the victims of World War II. After free time at the end of the tour we regroup and transfer to our hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 2. Sarajevo - Mostar - Pocitelj - Sarajevo

Wake-up call in the morning. After breakfast we depart for Mostar. On our panoramic city tour upon arrival, the most important landmark we will see is the city’s symbol, the Mostar Bridge. Built over the Neretva River that runs through the heart of the city in 1566 by the architect Hayreddin, a student of Mimar Sinan, using 456 precisely cut stones, the Mostar Bridge is an Ottoman masterpiece important enough to have given the city its name. The bridge was destroyed in November 1993 after days of shelling by Croatian artillery. With support from the Republic of Turkey, UNESCO, and the World Bank, and rebuilt by a Turkish company using original stones recovered from the river, the bridge was reopened in 2004. Another important site we will visit is the Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque, reachable on foot through the narrow, cobbled streets of Mostar’s old town and one of the best vantage points for photographing the bridge. We meet at the time announced by our guide and depart for Počitelj. During the stop in Počitelj, an old Ottoman border village, you will have many excellent photo opportunities. We regroup at the time announced by the guide and transfer back to our Sarajevo hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 3. Sarajevo - Belgrade

Morning wake-up call. After checking out of the rooms and breakfast, we depart for Belgrade. Upon arrival we begin the city tour. During our panoramic tour we see everyday life in the city, important buildings, and the deliberately left ruins of the Ministry of Interior that were bombed by NATO in the center of the city. Continuing with a walking tour after getting off the bus, we will see Bayrakli Mosque, Belgrade Fortress, the tomb of Damat Ali Pasha, the Clock Tower, Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Fountain, the Military Museum, Istanbul Gate, Zindan Gate, Leopold’s Gate, the Stefan Lazarević Monument, Nebojša Tower, Fortress Square, the Cathedral Church (Saborna Church), Republic Square, Terazije (Terazi Square), and Stone Square. We complete the city tour with a walk along Knez Mihailova Street, considered the heart of the city. You will have free time until the regrouping time announced by our guide to shop or enjoy the cafés on the street. After the tour we transfer to our hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 4. Belgrade - Skopje

Morning wake-up call. After checking out of the rooms and breakfast, we depart for Macedonia and its capital, Skopje. Upon arrival we get off the bus and begin a walking tour to get to know Skopje. The first place we will see on the city tour is Skopje Fortress, the birthplace of our famous poet Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, and the fortress will offer a panoramic view of the city. The tour continues with Yahya Pasha Mosque, Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Kapan Han, and the Davut Pasha Bath. In the Turkish Bazaar, where the old Skopje still lives, you will feel as if you are in Turkey. We continue the tour toward New Skopje across the Stone Bridge, also known as the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, which was completed in 1469 and spans the Vardar River that divides the city in two. The statue of Alexander the Great, regarded by Macedonians as their greatest hero, will greet us at Macedonia Square. Our walking tour, during which we will also see the Mother Teresa Memorial House from a panoramic viewpoint, will end at the old train station, one of Skopje’s landmarks. You will have free time until the meeting time announced by our guide to shop or enjoy Skopje’s cafés. We meet at the announced time and transfer to our hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 5. Skopje - Prizren - Skopje

After breakfast at the hotel we continue toward Prizren. We arrive in Kosovo — the world’s second‑newest country and the newest in Europe — and first visit Prizren, a town that still bears many Ottoman traces and where you will feel as if you are in an Anatolian town. On the walking tour we will see Sinan Pasha Mosque, the minaret of Arasta Mosque, an Ottoman bath, the stone bridge, the Turkish consulate, and the fortress, among other sights. During the free time here we strongly recommend you try the region’s delicious local dishes. After completing our Prizren tour we visit the site associated with the important Ottoman sultan Murad Hüdavendigar — where his field tent was once set up, and after his death his organs were embalmed and buried, and a tomb was later erected at that spot. After the tomb visit our program in Kosovo concludes. We regroup at the announced time and return to our hotel in Skopje. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 6. Skopje - Bitola - Resen - Ohrid

Morning wake‑up call. After checking out of the rooms and breakfast we depart for Manastir (Bitola). On arrival we disembark and begin a panoramic tour. In the city now called Bitola we first visit the Military High School (Askeri İdadi), where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was educated and which today serves as the city museum. The classroom where Atatürk studied has been arranged as the Atatürk Memorial Room, and the building also houses an ethnography museum. During our tour of Manastir we will also see the Turkish Bazaar, the Ottoman-era bedesten, İshak Mosque, and the Yeni Mosque. We will walk down Širok Sokak, the city’s lively main street lined with cafés, restaurants, and elegant buildings; during this stroll we will encounter an interesting episode from Atatürk’s life. After the city tour we drive on to Ohrid. On the way we stop in Resne, famous for its apple orchards, where from the garden we will see the mansion of Resneli Niyazi — one of the three most famous figures of the Committee of Union and Progress, noted for his role in the Turkish‑Greek War. Transfer to our hotel in Ohrid. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7. Ohrid

Morning wake‑up call. After breakfast we begin our walking city tour. Ohrid, a town on the UNESCO World Heritage List, features sites such as the Church of St. Sophia, still used today for concerts and festivals; a Roman-era amphitheater; the Halveti Dervish Lodge from the Ottoman period; historic houses reminiscent of Safranbolu; and Çinar Square. After the tour you will have free time to shop for Ohrid pearls and other souvenirs. We regroup at the time announced by our guide and return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 8. Ohrid - Skopje - departure

Morning wake‑up call. After breakfast we meet at the time announced by our guide and transfer to Skopje Airport.