Baščaršija is a wide street, actually a square, that begins at the spot where Telali, Safvet-Beg Bašagića, Sagrdžije and Mula Mustafe Bašeskije all meet in the north and it runs toward Abadžiluk and Halači in the south. 

It encounters the following streets along its length: Luledžina, Kazandžiluk and Bravadžiluk to the east, and Ćulhan, Sarači and Trgovke to the west.

Up until 1908, there was another whole block of shops in the center of the street and two streets, or bazaars, which were lined with shops, started in the north where Sebilj would later spring up. Further south, at the junction with Sarači, there was a smaller trading square and then the street continued with Halači Čaršija.

There used to be a street called Halvadžiluk that ran along the western section, toward the north, from the spot where Sebilj is today. The street that ran along the eastern section and was connected to a square in the south was called Baščaršija Square (Turkish: baš = head, main; čaršija = bazaar, trading area) and it was Sarajevo’s main bazaar.

There was a fire on October 15, 1908 that saw 32 shops on Halvadžiluk St. and Baščaršija St. engulfed in flames. Between 1911 and 1913 these two streets were joined and the entire area began to take on its current appearance. Wittek’s Sebilj, one of the most recognizable symbols of Sarajevo, has been in place since 1913.

In 1951, Baščaršija was widened along its southern extent and shops on the upper (northern) part of Halači were knocked down.