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Kosova
> Peja
At the foot of the gigantic Damned Mountains
(Bjeshk't e Nemuna), on the river Bistrica
(pronounced: Bis-tritza) and the entrance of the Rugova
Gorge (Gryka e Rugov's), lies Peja (pronounced:
Pey-ah), a town with around 85,000 inhabitants, the
main economic and cultural center of northern Dukagjin
(pronounced: Duke-ah-jin) region of Kosova. Because
of its exceptional position in regards to communication,
the natural attractiveness of the mountainous hinderland
and richness in cultural and historical monuments, Peja
is one of the best known tourist resorts of the region.
Hotel Korzo and a view of the surroundings of
the town |
During the medieval Serbian state, Peja was a cultural
center because of the Patriarchate of Peja, which
is in the immediate vincity of the town. With the
arrival of the Ottoman Turks, Peja developed under
the influence of oriental architecture, becoming a
casbah with cobble stone streets, numerous brooks
in courtyards, small shops, and mosques.
The Patriarchate of Peja, near the town.
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The urban architecture of the Turkish period is interesting,
with a large number of preserved houses of Albanian
feudal lords, among which is the famous Tahir Bey's
Palace, and Jashar Pasha's House. The Sheremet Tower,
although built during the Turkish rule, in fact is
a true type of an Albanian Dukagjin tower, a stone
house with small windows resembling rifle loopholes.
The ceilings of these types of houses are tall, usually
in carved wood, with niches. The houses are surrounded
by tall walls and have well kept gardens.
In the center of the town is the old ,arshia (shopping
street), with shops of various craftsmen (coppersmiths,
goldsmiths, slipper makers, leather tanners, saddle
makers, tailors, etc.). The attractive Bajrakli mosque
built in the 15th century ranks among the older structures
of Islamic architecture.
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