Visit the Painted Mosque in Tetovo From Skopje by Public Bus

In the foothills of the Šar Mountains, Tetovo’s Painted Mosque dazzles with colour, making it one of the most rewarding day trips in North Macedonia. I knew nothing about Tetovo before visiting North Macedonia, until a photo of an impossibly beautiful painted mosque stopped me in my tracks. Discovering it was only a short bus ride from Skopje sealed the deal: a Tetovo day trip from Skopje was too tempting to pass up.

Here’s everything you need to know if you want to visit the painted mosque in Tetovo.

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Tetovo at a glance

Tetovo is a city in the North-western part of North Macedonia in the foothills of the Šar mountains. With the Pena river running through it and the spectacular backdrop of the Šar mountains, it reminded me of Prizren in Kosovo. And that’s maybe not surprising, given they are both in the foothills of the Sar Mountains, just on different sides. But the main reason to visit Tetovo is to see the Painted Mosque (Šarena Džamija).

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How to Visit Tetovo and the painted mosque from Skopje

Here are the details of our journey, which I hope, together with the map, will be useful to you if you plan to visit Tetovo too.

Skopje to Tetovo By Bus

Skopje Bus Station and Buying Tickets

There’s scant information online about the bus service from Skopje to Tetovo. I found a timetable on Balkan Viator, a bus aggregator, listing bus times for several routes in the area. You can’t book tickets online, but there’s a ticket office at Skopje Coach Station, which you’ll find underneath the arches of the railway station. Be aware that there are two different areas underneath the train station. You’re looking for the part of the station with full-size long-distance coaches and a covered waiting area with seating and a proper ticket office. If you are in the stands for the red double-decker city buses, you’re in the wrong place.

We went prepared to buy tickets with Google Translate, but the lady smiled at the question on my phone and answered in perfect English, issuing paper tickets. You can buy them in advance at the bus station or on the day, whichever works for you. Purchasing with a payment card is possible, but there are several operators running the route, so I’d carry cash (MKD) just in case there are individual differences.

Possibly a recent development, because I really didn’t spot it when we booked, but there is currently one bus in and out of the city each day, and you can purchase online through Flixbus. The times may not suit, but if you’re anxious about the bus trip, it’s definitely worth considering for one or both ways.

Reviews of the bus station are pretty dire! Dirty station, fees added to access the platform and the toilet, plus less-than-stellar service. All I can say is we found it fine. I’ve seen worse at Paris Bercy, and after the ‘platform ticket purchase drama’ we experienced in Belgrade, this was a walk in the park by comparison. It was more straightforward than buying tickets for the local buses in Skopje for Mount Vodno! – different process.

While opinions on the station are varied, our bus was a full-size coach, clean and modern, with a toilet on board, too.

We also took a peek upstairs to look at the rail station. It was absolutely deserted. There are a few local services and no International ones running to Skopje. A reminder that buses are often your best bet in the Balkans, as trains to many places may be rare or nonexistent.

Bus Journey to Tetovo

The bus arrived and left on time. Part of the journey was on a toll road, which was a good one. The journey was comfortable and lasted about 50 minutes. And what a view as we drove towards the Sar mountains!

The bus station in Tetovo is a little way out, but we didn’t wait for the final stop. We followed the crowds getting off the bus at the centre, at the roundabout and at the green market. For the return journey, we walked to the bus station to be sure we would catch the bus back.

Tetovo Map With Walking Route

Here’s a walking route with the main things you are likely to want to see in Tetovo. I’ve also added our coffee stop and late lunch stop. Both were excellent, but not the only options in Tetovo. The marked route is 6km, so it’s very ‘doable’ in a day.

First Impressions of Tetovo

We arrived at stalls on the pavement and many more in the Green Market. Pigeons (?) in cages and live chickens wandering about, contemplating their fate, no doubt! I’m not quite sure what we were expecting, but it felt pretty incongruous compared to the mosque we were searching for.

But any mild panic was quelled when we stopped off for some coffee. Sach Coffee – great espresso, modern, designer surroundings, breakfast cake, excellent Wi-Fi, and staff genuinely happy to see us. A league apart from your average Starbucks!

After the coffee stop, it was another minute or two up the road, a left turn, and we arrived at the mosque. (See Map – for route).

Visit Šarena Džamija (Tetovo Painted Mosque)

It’s certainly one of the most beautiful mosques in Macedonia, if not Europe. It has several names: the Sarena Mosque (Šarena Džamija), Colourful Mosque, Painted Mosque, Pasha Džamija (Prince’s Mosque), or Motley Mosque.

From the street, the Painted Mosque looks more like a grand Ottoman house than a place of worship: low, rectangular, with a tiled roof and colourful exterior walls. The setting, with the Šar Mountains rising in the distance, makes the whole ensemble even more dramatic.

History of Tetovo Mosque

The Painted Mosque was first built in 1438, during the early Ottoman period, and was unusual from the start. Instead of being funded by a sultan or pasha, it was financed by two local sisters, making it one of the rare examples of female patronage in Islamic architecture. The mosque was later expanded in the 19th century under Abdurrahman Pasha, when many of its colourful designs were refreshed.

Tetovo Mosque Frescoes

Step inside and you’re met with walls, arches, and ceilings covered in paint. Instead of the intricate tilework seen in Ottoman mosques further east, this one is a canvas of bold floral patterns and geometric designs. You’ll find painted panels, depicting landscapes, cities, and even the Kaaba in Mecca. In total, there are thought to be over 30,000 individual details painted across the surfaces. The frescoes use vivid natural pigments, and allegedly, 30,000 eggs were used to produce the yellow paint. The layering gives the mosque a unique, almost kaleidoscopic atmosphere. It’s a riot of colour that feels more like a Renaissance chapel than a typical mosque interior.

Other Features of Tetovo Mosque

Look beyond the frescoes and upwards, and you’ll spot the balconies. These are for women to watch events downstairs. They have a separate area upstairs. You’ll also find a finely carved mihrab (prayer niche) and stained glass windows that soften the light inside.

Tetovo Mosque Courtyard

The mosque complex sits in a beautiful courtyard and gardens. It includes a türbe (tomb) for its patrons, keeping the sisters’ story woven into the site. In the courtyard, you’ll also find a fountain for ritual washing beneath an ornate wooden canopy, often the first thing you’ll see as you step through the gate.

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Tetovo Art Gallery

The bathhouse (Haman) on the other side of the river Pena used to be part of the Sarena Mosque complex. The bathhouse now houses the Tetovo Art Gallery. It’s a small contemporary art space with exhibits of paintings, graphics, and photography that change periodically. The building itself – a late 15th-century twin-domed bath house- is a good reason to pop in too.

If you stand on the bridge, looking towards the art gallery and river, with the Pena River as a backdrop, it certainly makes a good photo stop. And if you turn around on the bridge, you will see the next viewpoint of interest on our map, the Old Stone Bridge.

Old stone bridge

This was built in the 15th century. It spans the Pena River with a simple single arch. It’s not as big or dramatic as, say, Stari Most, in Mostar, but together with the Painted Mosque and hammam, it anchors Tetovo’s Ottoman core. Another opportunity for a photo!

Arabati Baba Bektashi Tekke

Once you have seen everything in the mosque area, the next place to see is Arabati Baba Bektashi Tekke, which is another 10 mins or so along the road. It’s considered one of the best conserved tekkes in Europe. The present structure dates to the late 18th century, but the site dates back to 1538. It is a walled complex with an impressive gate.

Explore The City Centre

Frequently, I find it’s the little things I remember about places, not just the ‘big ticket’ items I came to see. The funny, the unusual, the fascinating, or downright weird all have their place, creating memories. There’s always something, and Tetovo’s no exception. If you rush, you miss so much.

So here, in the ‘fascinating’ category, we have the gold shops of Tetovo. It wasn’t what I was expecting in a place which isn’t a fancy-painted mosque, except for that. Look out for the intricate gold necklaces, traditionally worn at weddings or festivals to display wealth and craftsmanship. You’ll see versions in ethnographic collections across the region, but they’re also on display in several shops on the main street in Tetovo.

Here are some choices for the ‘funny’ and ‘weird’ categories.

And I know fake football shirts are everywhere, but they make me smile and remind me of the holiday purchases when our sons were young and travelled with us. We have so many memories and stories about those shirts!

Lunch stop (Our Choice – Punto Verde)

While there are authentic Balkan dining experiences in Tetovo, we opted for Italian, which seemed to be the most popular cuisine there—excellent ‘Macedonian style’ pasta, which we paired with a bottle of Tikveš Alexandria semi-dry white. Macedonian wine is underrated and well worth sampling. Our meal for two plus wine came to about 1,760 MKD (approx £24/€28 with the wine making up the majority of the bill!

After lunch, we made our way back to the bus station for the ride back to Skopje.

If You Stay Longer

Here are some more options:

• Lešok Monastery – A 14th-century monastery with frescoes, a short taxi ride out of town.
• Tetovo City Museum – Small but central, a quick way to add some context on local history.
• Popova Šapka – Both a ski centre and summer trailhead just 15-20km above Tetovo. In winter, it’s known for freeride/cat-skiing. A few international skiers do come for the powder, but it’s not a huge resort like, say, Bansko in Bulgaria. In the summer, the resort serves as a base for hikes in the Sar Mountains. The classic route is to Titov Vrv (2,748m), North Macedonia’s second-highest peak. There are also shorter walks with big views.
• Kale (Baltepe) Fortress – A ruined hilltop fort with sweeping views, about a 15–20 minutes’ uphill walk. We were warned it’s not very easy or safe to wander around. It’s not an obvious attraction like the fortresses in Skopje or Prizren.

Where to Stay in Tetovo

Tetovo would be a good place to break your journey up if you are visiting both Ohrid and Skopje. Here are some accommodation options.

If you’ve got this far, you may be interested in a trip to Mount Vodno and the Millennium Cross, also a bus trip from central Skopje and Best Things to Do in Skopje: Your Comprehensive Travel Guide to Europe’s Most Kitsch Capital.

Balkan Itinerary: Four Cities, Three Capitals in One Week ending in Skopje

Thinking of spending longer in the Balkans? Follow my detailed bus itinerary from Tirana to Skopje, via Pristina and Prizren. It’s flexible and easily reversible if you want to start in Skopje.

➡️ Tirana to Skopje: A Flexible Overland Itinerary via Kosovo (3 Capitals in 1 Week)

Have you visited Tetovo and North Macedonia? Are you planning a visit? Let me know in the comments.

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