The Bascarsija Old Bazaar is located in the heart of the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, within the Old Town. Founded in the 15th century by Ottoman General Isa-Beg Isakovic, the market eventually became the historical and cultural center of the modern city.

The main tourist attraction of Sarajevo is a whole complex of monuments of Bosnian architecture: from the great Gazi Husrev-Bey Mosque and the Clock Tower to the only surviving medieval Morica Han caravanserai or “khan,” as the roadside inns in Bosnia were called.

The famous Morica Han was built in 1551 during Ottoman rule. At that time, the khan bore the name of its innkeeper Hadzi-Besir, as was described in the notes of the famous Ottoman traveler Evliya Celebi. The Morica Han got its current name only in the 19th century after the name of its tenants’ father and son Mustafa-aga Moric and Ibrahim-aga Moric.

Nowadays, the Morica Han can accommodate more than 300 people and 70 horses, which equates it with the famous Turkish caravanserais. At the end of the 19th century, it became the gathering place, where locals found the People’s Council in protest against the occupation of the state by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today, it is a venue for religious communities, which also houses a popular national restaurant and a Persian carpet store. Its walls are decorated with the legendary poems of Omar Khayyam written in Persian calligraphy, which appeared in the 1970s during the restoration of the khan after another fire. The spacious galleries of the Morica Han, a cozy courtyard, and old souvenir shops beckon tired travelers, spending all day sightseeing, to relax in a cafe and enjoy a cup of strong tea in the shade of age-old trees. Take your time to buy the best souvenirs for your loved ones, and then head to khan’s cozy room to recuperate for future trips.