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Kosova
> Prizren
Prizren is a town with around 70,000 inhabitants, and
it is a true open air museum, one of the most beautiful
towns of Kosova. It is situated
on the slopes of the Sharr Mountains and on the banks
of the river Bistrica. Thanks to its preserved architecture,
this town with houses built under the Kalaja is a special
curiosity. It is rich in dwelling quarters and houses
with balconies facing gardens full of foliage. Numerous
narrow, winding streets cut the whole town up, giving
the town an oriental physiognomy. The craftsmen of Prizren
are well known for their beautiful gold and silver articles,
embroidery, the Prizren cloth, knives, and other folk
handcrafts, trades which Prizrenians have preserved throughout
the centuries. Since the end of World War II, Prizren
has developed into a modern town with food processing,
textile, pharmaceutical, and metal processing industry,
at the same time efforts have been made to preserve its
ancient architecture.
A view of Prizren. The Sharr Mountains are in
the background,
while the Bistrica River flows through the town.
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Prizren was established at a convenient locality as
an important trading town, through which passed old
roads towards the Adriatic coast and the interior of
the Balkan peninsula.
Graves and artifacts of Illyrian Dardans were found
in Prizren's vincity, which shows that the area of Prizren
has been inhabited since ancient times. It was for a
while the center of the Serbian Empire. During the Byzantine
rule, Prizren was known as Prizdrian. The Ottomans occupied
Prizren on June 21, 1455, and that is when the oriental
urban development of Prizren began. From all the cities
of Kosova, Prizren has best
preserved the architectural physiognomy of the past.
A view of Prizren from the Kalaja |
Overlooking the town, on a hill that dominates over
the Prizren plateau, is the Kalaja (Fortress) of Prizren
(Kalaja e Prizrenit). The fort dates from
the 11th century and was built to protect Prizren from
attacks. Kalaja is a true labyrinth of underground tunnels.
The Ottoman Turks occupied it in 1455 and kept soldiers
in it for centuries. Kalaja today fits into the old
town setup.
The Bajrakli Gazi Mehmet Pasha's mosque is the oldest
monument of Islamic art in Prizren. The inscription
above the entrance states it was built in 1561. This
mosque has a square base and numerous windows, while
the main veneration niche (mihrab) and the pulpit (mimber)
are made of marble.
A hexagonal mausoleum (medresa) has been built in the
courtyard of the mosque which Mehmet Pasha earmarked
as his grave.
Mehmet Pasha's Turkish bath in Prizren
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Mehmet Pasha also built a Turkish bath in the town,
which is built of cut stone and large bricks, in extremely
harmonious proportions. The interior is divided into
two parts: the baths for men and the baths for women.
Sinan Pasha's mosque in Prizren |
Sinan
Pasha's mosque, according to inscriptions, was built in
1615. Its architecture demonstrates strength, compactness,
gracefulness, and elegance. In regards to the type of
architecture, it represents a rarity in Islamic art. Thanks
to its position, elegance, massive properties and the
graceful minaret, it dominates over the surrounding part
of the town. The enormous dome is fitted harmoniously
into the square mass of the building. The interior of
the mosque is decorated with geometrical designs, still
life, and draperies, while the other parts of the walls
are painted in strong light colors.
One
of the oldest standing structures in Prizren is the Sh'nm'ria
Levishka Church (shown on the picture). Built
originally as a Roman Catholic Church and one of the primary
churches of the Catholics of the region, Levishka was
later converted to an Eastern Orthodox Church.
Left: the house in which the Prizren League was
organized. Right: the Prizren League Museum with
the statues of Sami Frash'ri and Ymer Prizreni
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In
the center of the town, on the bank of river Bistrica,
stands the house in which in 1878, the League of Prizren
was organized. It was an assembly of representatives of
all Albanian inhabited regions that demanded autonomy
from the Ottoman Empire. This event was the starting point
of the Albanian liberation movement which eventually led
to the declaration of the independence of Albania in 1912.
The house archives many of the documents relating to the
League of Prizren.
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