Albanian internal trade in the 18th century continued in the way of forming great interregional markets. During this time there was a strengthening of crafting and trading centers and of the smaller local markets. In this period, Shkodra’s Old Bazaar started to have a previously unmatched development, becoming a true metropolis of crafting and trade in the region and beyond. The increase of urban population and the approach of the rural masses to these centers increased the demand for crafted products. Crafting was born as a need of the people to simplify and improve their life. In Shkodra the metal was forged for the production of weapons, tools and furniture, bell makers and the blacksmiths (ferrarii) existed almost in every city in Albania.

Aside from the workshop-stores of the handcrafters, dozens of bakeries, corn mills, and felt makers worked tirelessly for the urban and rural population.

While the hostels and inns across the Bazaar, coffee shops and mess halls, offered temporary shelter to the clients coming from the villages of Kraja, Malesi e Madhe, Dukagjini, Mirdita, Puka and the highlands of Peja and Gjakova .

The bazaars of Shkodra were the focal centers of the town’s economic and social activity. At one point, the Old Bazaar began to see unprecedented growth and development, thus turning Shkodra into a veritable metropolis of skilled craftsmen and world-travelled merchants. In addition to the various artisan shops and ateliers, numerous bakeries, flourmills, oil mills, felt-making workshops and tanneries buzzed with activity in response to the needs of the urban and rural population. While the caravanserais along the perimeter of the bazaar, the coffee shops and various eateries provided transit shelter and food for clients from far and wide: villages of Kraja, Malësia e Madhe, Dukagjini, Mirdita, Puka, the Highlands of Peja and Gjakova.