Wandering. Floating. Itinerant. Nomadic. Roving. It is hard to believe these words describe a market, right? Usually, markets are expected to be a reliable fixture, a point in space where people go to purchase the items they need. Well, Prishtina, like any other city, has its share of settled markets where local producers sell their goods – from fruit and veggies to electronics and haberdashery. However, the market I love to visit is the “Roving Market”, which for three days a week, brings to the capital city’s customers fresh farm products, homemade traditional pickles, jams, and other delicacies, handmade clothing and jewellery.
For three days a week, the roving market stalls animate the city spaces they occupy with the tasty products, colourful creations, and the hustle-and-bustle of merchants and customers. I prefer to visit the market on its Thursday location, in “Adem Jashari” square, just across from the main Town Hall building, adjacent to a triangle-shaped monument referring to the Yugoslav-era philosophy of “brotherhood and unity”. My favourite stall is the one occupied by a local artist, Mire Canolli, who creates beautifully inspired jewellery in various colours, materials, and shapes. I already have a rich collection of earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings that bear her unique style. On Tuesdays, the market is set up in front of the iconic “Grand Hotel”, and on Wednesdays at the equally iconic “Bill Clinton” square.
