One of the oldest and largest marketplaces in the Balkans, it has been Skopje's center of trade and commerce since at least the 12th century. During the Ottoman rule of Skopje, the Old Bazaar quickly became the city's main trading center. The Ottoman history of the bazaar is evidenced by around thirty mosques, numerous caravanserais and other buildings and monuments. The bazaar was badly damaged by the earthquake in 1555, as well as the great fire in 1689, the earthquake in 1963, and events during the First and Second World Wars.