Kosovo maybe is not a typical tourist country, but is perfectly safe to visit — with lots to see for the intrepid traveler. The San Diego Reader, a large newspaper in San Diego has dedicated an article about the small country of Kosovo. Alice Diamond, the author writes a long article titled “What brings you to Kosovo?
"Just a hundred years ago, Pristina was a multicultural and vibrant trading city, with a huge bazaar
in its center, an urban elite who spoke Turkish, a Serbian population with
strong ties to the Orthodox church, a strong Jewish community which was even in
charge of its own schools, as well as the large Albanian population, most of
whom were Muslim, but with a small percentage who were Catholic. Today, aside
from all the expats, it is nearly all Albanian Muslims.
 |
| Kosovo Monument of Independence Photo: Arton Krasniqi |
Two words about Pristina, the capital city
Despite having a well-developed café society, Pristina is
rather hard to fall in love with. Aside from a brief stint with the distinction
of being the “World’s Newest Capital City” from 2008 to 2011, there are few
Guinness Records it is likely to beat.
Being “wet behind the ears” as a nation is almost a point of
pride. One would not expect to see this freshness illustrated in a nine-ton,
ten-foot-high by eighty-foot-long monument, but this is just the kind of quirky
thing you find in Kosovo. Basically the monument consists of seven block
letters spelling out NEWBORN. It was initially painted yellow, one of the
colors in the Kosovo flag, and was unveiled on the day the country declared its
independence from Serbia in 2008.
While there may be only a few sights in Pristina, what they
have is unique. The most notable building is the National Library on the campus
of the university. The building was intended to include both Ottoman and
Albanian elements, but there is little consensus on which aspect is which. The
prevailing view is that the domes are an Ottoman influence — and the roofline
does look like the Topkapi palace.
The symbolism of the metal work woven around the concrete
exterior denotes is also up for grabs. Perhaps a harem screen for the Turkish
part of the fusion? But others seem to think differently. Apparently, the
official cutting the ribbon thought it was just a mistake and chastised the
builders for failing to remove the scaffolding before the ceremony. And then we
overheard one student saying he thought that it was to remind you to “Study
hard and finish school, lest you be imprisoned here.”
If Prishtina is the modern face of Kosovo, Prizren is a
glimpse into its past with a history of the city dating at least to the 2nd
century AD.
This museum city did not undergo heavy-handed demolition by
Yugoslav Communists, as Pristina did; instead, ample evidence of its Ottoman
past is extant. With upper stories of houses jutting forth into the street and
delicious Turkish food predominating, it is the only place in Kosovo where
Turkish remains an official language.
This becomes particularly handy for the hoards of Turkish visitors who descend on the town to purchase their very expensive, gold-embroidered wedding outfits.
This becomes particularly handy for the hoards of Turkish visitors who descend on the town to purchase their very expensive, gold-embroidered wedding outfits.
The preserved city center delights with multiple fountains,
bridges spanning the fast-flowing Bistrica River, ancient churches, and mosques
from the 16th century. There is even a medieval fortress on the hilltop,
protecting the city below.
