Written by admin on 05 August 2010
Skopje
Skopje is capital city of the Republic of Macedonia; is it located in the Povardarie region, is the largest and most diverse city in the country. Skopje has been occupied by many different peoples since its foundation. This is evidenced by the several Byzantine churches and monasteries around the city, also by a few Roman sites, such as Scupi and Skopje’s Aqueduct. However, the group that left the greatest mark on Skopje were the Ottomans. The Ottomans ruled Macedonia for hundreds of years and built a large number of mosques and other buildings.
Today, Skopje is becoming a modern city. Home to about quarter of the entire population of the country, it is also home to many different types of people. Besides the majority Macedonians, many Albanians, Turks, Roma, Serbs, Bosniaks and others call Skopje home.
See
Most people in Skopje just see the concrete buildings and run away, but if one looks deeper one will find some excellent examples of Ottoman architecture and much more. Most of the sights in Skopje are situateded in and around the old bazaar.
* Kale Fortress. Stands on the highest hill in the Skopje valley and offers great views over the city. The oldest section of the fortress is within the presentday fortifications. It is 121m long and is built in opus qvadrum style (huge stone blocks on the outside and small stones inside) by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian who was born in the village of Taorion near Skopje. After the great earthquake of 518 when ancient Skupi was destroyed, Justinian decided to do something for his birthtown and built Justinijana Prima on the site of presentday Skopje. Unfortunately no major archeological work has been done for discovering the remains of Justinijana Prima. Most of the presentday fortifications originate from the 10th century (the square tower) and 13th century (the round tower). It was reinforced during them turkish rule when the number of towers was up to 70 (today there are just 3 standing) and the fortress went down to river Vardar and up on the hill where today the Museum of Conteporary Art stands. The small gate from the side of the old bazaar is the only gate still standing and it was built in 1446. The fortress was badly damaged in the fire in 1689 and even more during the eartquake of 1963.
* Stone Bridge. The Stone Bridge was built in the 6th century by the Byzantine emperor Justinian. Since then it has been the symbol of the city and every ruler tried to leave a mark on it, even Skopje’s last major who has been restoring it for 10 years now. The biggest reconstruction of the bridge was made in the second half of the 15th century by Sultan Mehmed II. The stone fence and guard tower were added then. Unfortunately the guard tower fell down during the most recent restoration and is waiting to be reconstructed. It still is the main connection of the main square and the old bazaar. While walking over it try to notice the 6th century big stone bloks. The bridge has 13 arches and is 214m long.
* Macedonia Square. Even though most of the interesting sights are on the other side of the Stone Bridge, there are couple of interesting sights around Macedonia Square. The square has changed a lot after the earthquake, most of the neoclasical buildings are gone except for a small section of houses in the center. Some more are on Maksim Gorki street and around (look for the Italian Embassy and the Arabian House Hotel). From the main square when you turn to enter the shopping mall look for a marked place. This is the place where the house of Mother Theresa used to stand. She was born in this house and lived here until she turned 18 when she left first for Ireland and then for India.
* Parliament Building, (Parliament Building). Built in 1933 by Viktor Hudak in modernistic style. edit
* City Hospital, (diagonal from the Parliament Building). Built in 1931 by the Croatian architect Drago Ibler and is the most beautiful example of modern architecture in Skopje.
* Feudal Tower, (Back on the main square, take Macedonia Street leading towards the Old Railway Station. The street has a couple of nice cafes. Right after you pass the crossroad look left to see the Feudal Tower.). It is not known when was it built or what its purpose was. It probably served as a defence tower on a property of a Turkish aristocrat. Today it serves as a souvenir shop and you can enter and see it from the inside. Right in front of it on the site of the old catholic church (distroyed in the earthquake) there is a monument to Mother Theresa.
* Double Hamam. The Double Hamam was built in the middle of the 15th century by Isa beg. It was used as both male and female bath, but unlike Daut Pasha Hamam where both parts go parallel to eachother, here the heating room is in the middle and the entrances are on the opposite sides. Today is used as a gallery for temporary exhibits.
* Bedesten. The most precious goods, like silk, spices, jewelry and perfumes, were sold in the bedesten, an object within the old bazaar, with gates which were closed in the evenings so the goods would be protected. Evlija Celebija who visited Skopje during the 17th century wrote that the only bigger and more beautiful bedesten from the one in Skopje was the one in Damascus. It was covered with 12 valutes and it held a whole bazaar inside. Unfortunately that bedesten disappeared in the fire of 1689. After the fire Skopje became much smaller and lost its importance as a trading center, so somewhere in the beginning of the 17th century the present bedesten was built. It is small and it is not even covered, but it still has a lot of atmosphere in it. It has just 5 short streets, small shops and four gates. In the past it was covered with wine grape, so it would protect the shoppers from the sun and the rain.
* Clock Tower. Every bazaar in Macedonia has a clock tower, as muslims had to close their stores five times a day to attend prayer. Working hours were introduced in the old bazaar, and nobody had a chance to work and earn more than the other, so the clock towers were built. Skopje’s clock tower is the first one ever to be built in the Ottoman Empire, which show us the importance of Skopje as a trading center. It was built during 1566-72. It has more Islamic appearance than the other clock towers in Macedonia. The clock on the clock tower was brought from Szeged, Hungary. Unfortunately the clock disappeared during the chaos after the earthquake and today is in a clock museum in Switzerland. edit
* Bey’s Tower. A 14m high residential tower from the 17th century, this is the oldest building in Centar Municipality (central Skopje). Built for defense, with 1.5m thick walls, a high door and small windows on the lower floors, the tower would protect the family living here against all attackers. In the tower are the Mother Teresa memorial and the National Museum shop. The square in front of the tower was the location of the small catholic Church, which was destroyed in 1963.
* City Park. a large green area in the center of Skopje. A part of it is a museum, with several monuments within. It is a nice place to go for recreation, as there are pathways around the small lakes, tennis courts, the children’s amusement park, cafes, restaurants, etc. The city Zoo and stadium are also within the park. In the summer, the Skopje’s nightlife concentrates on the several nightclubs in this park.
* Daut Pasha Hamam. Daut Pasha was the grand vesir of East Rumelia in the second half of the 15th century. He was based in Skopje and the legend goes that he built the hamam (turkish bath) for the needs of his harem. Before he left, he donated the hamam to the city. It was a double bath both for males and females (who bathed separately of course), the male and the female part going parallel next to each other. The two big domes in the front covered the two dressing rooms, which had water fountains in the middle. Each of the small domes covered a separate room for bathing. The heating room was on the end. Today the bath serves as a national gallery with a great collection of late 19 and 20 century art, and even if you are not interested in the art, you should go inside to see the elaborate decorations of the domes.
* Aqueduct, (On the exit of Skopje towards Kosovo, right before the village of Vizbegovo. Turn right at the first traffic signal you encounter on the road to Kosovo (you can only turn right). Turn right again immediately at the first opportunity. The pavement ends abruptly. Follow the unpaved road to the left that runs alongside the canal. After about 300 meters, you will see the aqueduct in front of you.). It is still not known when it was built. Many people claim it is from Roman times but it goes opposite of Skupi so that theory doesn’t make much sense. It was probably built during Byzantine times and it is sure that it was still used during Turkish times when it provided water for the public baths. 55 stone arches of the Aqueduct are still standing.
* Šuto Orizari Gypsy Village. Also called Šutka is one of the largest Roma settlements in the world with about 30.000 inhabitants. Neither pittoresque nor romantic, it is definitely worth a visit if you are interested in Roma life and culture. The settlement developped from a small village where only a few Roma families were living before the 1963 earthquake. After the earthquake many Roma families who had lost their living quarters settled there – or were settled there. Many of the corrugated iron shacks that were donated by US aid organisations are still in use. After the closing of the big state factories unemployment among the Skopje Roma soared. At most 30% of the employable population have jobs. The others are looking for casual labor (e.g. in building), or are working in the formal or informal service sector (hair dressers, car wash, repairs of all kinds), are trading (street vendors, market traders, import export of textiles) or recycle garbage. Many families are depending on welfare. The biggest economic factor is the great textile market. Customers from all over Macedonia go there to get cheap clothes or shoes that come mainly from Turkey or Bulgaria. Poverty is ominpresent in Šuto Orizari but you can not categorize it as a slum. You can find small palaces belonging to wealthy merchants or musicians. You can find nice cottages belonging to families who used to work or are still working abroad as “guest workers”. There are the shacks and containers already mentioned. And in the outskirts you can find absolutely miserable slum areas.
Tags: Republic of Macedonia, Skopje
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Written by admin on 05 August 2010
Republic of Macedonia
The Republic of Macedonia is a landlocked country in the Balkans. It is bordered by Serbia and the disputed region of Kosovo to the north, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, and Greece to the south. The constitutional name of the country is the Republic of Macedonia and it is usually called simply Macedonia, despite the disambiguation concerns of the neighboring Greeks in the Greek province Macedonia and the official provisional name the country has under UN.
While easily accessible from all points abroad, and boasting all the amenities of the Western world, the Republic of Macedonia remains one of Europe’s last undiscovered countries: a natural paradise of mountains, lakes and rivers, where life moves to a different rhythm, amidst the sprawling grandeur of rich historical ruins and idyllic villages that have remained practically unchanged for centuries. The majority population is Slavic and Orthodox but there is also a significant Albanian Muslim minority. Therefore, one can expect a wonderful mix of architectural and ethnic hertitage. The country represents the Balkans in the truest sense, consisting of a fascinating mix of Slavic, Albanian, Turkish, and Mediterranean influences.
Macedonia is a country with many ethnic minorities. There is still some ethnic tension between Albanians (who form the majority in the northwest) and Macedonians, so this is a subject best avoided. It almost came to civil war a few years ago. Constitutional cultural autonomy was granted and things have greatly improved avoiding the disaster that was Serbia.
Climate
Macedonia has warm, dry summers and autumns, and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall.
Macedonia is covered by mountainous territory marked by deep basins and valleys. There are three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line, and the country bisected by the Vardar River.
Macedonia is blessed with outstanding natural beauty. Do not miss a trip to one of the large lakes, Pelister Mountains, Shar Planina in the West, and the fascinating rolling hills and mountains of the East with its rice fields.
Tags: Balkans, landlocked country, Republic of Macedonia
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Written by admin on 05 August 2010
Ulpiana
Ulpiana is one of the oldest cities in the Balkan peninsula is just 20-30 minutes away from Pristina towards Gjilan and that is the city that is know to have been re-constructed by Justinian I emperior.
Ulpiana was an ancient city located in what is today Kosovo.It was also named Justiniana Secunda.Ulpiana is situated in the municipality of Lipljan. In 1990, Ulpiana was added to the Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance list, protected by Republic of Serbia.
Under the Roman Empire, Ulpiana flourished it is mentioned as a glorious city “urb splendidissma”. Ulpiana suffered numerous attacks from barbarian tribes (Huns, Goths), it was destroyed in 479 when the Goth King Theodemir sent his son Theodoric the Great with 3,000 soldiers to destroy the city. A final blow came when an earthquake struck in 518 AD and destroyed what remained of Ulpiana.
Procopius teaches us that “He (Justinian) rebuilt all the falling walls of the city (Ulpiana) and after he decorated them with a splendour, he gave them the beauty of the present day and called them “Justiniana Secunda”.”
In the 6th century during the rule of Justinian the city was rebuilt, after whom it was called Iustiana Secunda.
Remains of this city – destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout history, with basilica, mosaics, and tombstones – have been unearthed west of Gračanica. In the early Christian period, Ulpiana was an important episcopal center. A number of articles were discovered here such as coins, ceramics, weapons, jewellery, and similar.
The remains of the city, only partially excavated, are situated approximately 1.3 km (0.81 mi) west of Gračanica, immediately to the north of the road connecting Gračanica with Laplje Selo. The approximate geographic coordinates (WGS84) of the excavation site are 42° 36′ N and 21° 10′ E.
Ulpiana is also an older name used to refer to the present-day Pristina, in Kosovo.
Tags: Balkan, Ulpiana
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Written by admin on 05 August 2010
Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of eastern Kosovo[a]. The population of the municipality is estimated at 3,900 people (2008).
The name of the town means “New Hill” in the Serbian language.
Novo Brdo (in Latin documents written as Novaberd, Novus Mons or Novamonte; and in Saxon miners’ documents as Nyeuberghe) was mentioned in the historical documents as early as 1326. Previously it was included, together with the other parts of Kosovo, within the First Bulgarian Empire . The famous Bulgarian Mediaeval writer Vladislav the Grammarian was born there between 1410 and 1415 .
Novo Brdo was a metropolis at the time, with a huge medieval fortress built on the top of an extinct volcano cone, the remains of which can be visited today, and residential sections sprawling all around. In the outer wall of the fortress a large cross is visible, built into the stones. The castle, or fortress, was thought at one point to have dated back to the Byzantine Empire, however there is some evidence indicating that it was possibly Serbian.
The population at its height was estimated to exceed 10,000 people. There were mines and smelting furnaces for iron, lead, gold and silver ores. Novo Brdo silver is known by its argentum glame (an alloy of silver with 1/6-1/3 gold). In 1450 the mines of Novo Brdo were producing about 6,000 kg of silver per year. Novo Brdo was the last Serbian city to remain standing during the first invasion. In 1439 the capital of Smederevo fell and Kosovo resisted until finally Novo Brdo fell in 1441. Novo Brdo was by treaty restored to the Serbs in 1443.
The fortress (named in Turkish Nobırda) came under siege for forty days by the Ottomans, capitulating and becoming occupied by the Ottomans on June 1, 1455. This event is described by Konstantin Mihailović from Ostrovica near Novo Brdo, who was taken by the Ottomans along with some 300 other boys to be trained as Janissaries. All of the higher ranking Serbian officials were executed after the castle fell, with the younger men and boys being taken captive to serve in the Ottoman Army, and some 700 young Serbian women and girls being taken to be wives to Ottoman commanders.
Novo Brdo and the surrounding area was put under the spiritual guidance of the Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid . In 1572 a surge of Bulgarian outlaws made the area so dangerous for the Ottomans that Mehmed Bey of Kyustendil ordered a dozen of local Sipahis to be deployed between Vranje and Novo Brdo against the rebels . By the early 20th century, Novo Brdo’s population had dwindled, with most inhabitants moving to the more easily accessible area of Gnjilane. In 1999, with the entry into Kosovo of KFOR and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the area had a small military outpost occupied by US soldiers, as well as a station of International Police and Kosovo Police.
Tags: eastern Kosovo, Novo Brdo
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Written by admin on 04 August 2010
Prizren town
Prizren town is located on the Bistrica (Lumbardhi) River in the South of Kosovo. It is set against the backdrop of the Sharr Mountains to the south and the Accursed Mountains bordering Albania to the west.
Of all the towns in Kosovo, Prizren is certainly the most charming. Boasting the highest number of Ottoman-era buildings and mosques, adorned with narrow cobbled streets, a beautifully carved stone bridge and shops selling traditional crafts, it has best preserved its Ottoman flair. For centuries Prizren was a vibrant trading town and an important Ottoman administrative and commercial center. There was a strong tradition of crafts, in particular tanners, armourers (with guns exported as far afield as Egypt) metalworkers and filigree. To this day, Prizren remains Kosovo’s most ethnically mixed municipality, home to Albanians, Serbs, Bosnians, Turks, Roma and Gorani. Turkish, alongside Albanian and Serbian, is widely spoken in Prizren’s homes.
The best way to get to Prizren is by bus from Pristina. You can also catch a bus from Skopje. Most bus companies that run from Istanbul to Pristina continue onward and terminate in Prizren. There are several direct buses from Belgrade (7hours, 1 day bus & 2 night busses, run by Kosovo Albanian companies, cost about 10Euro, stops depending on the route in Nis or Krusevac, Pristina and other towns on the road, information dates from february 2005). Good way going to Prizren is from Tirana. You may be in Prizren in about two and a half hours using the Durres-Morine highway. The main event in the town is yearly international documentary DOKUFEST and short film festival held in August.
See
* The Turkish baths – the Hammam – The Prizren Hammam is located near the center of town, just up from the main post office. It is a distinctive complex of low brick domes. Obviously no longer used as public baths, the building is occasionally used for art exhibits.
* The mostly destroyed Serbian Quarter above the city – from the center of the city, start heading up hill. You will see the remains of the walls on the crest of the hill – head up paths in that direction. There are no signs along the way. You will pass an Orthodox Cathedral in the center of town that is being guarded by armed KFOR soldiers. The Cathedral was badly damaged during the ethnic riots of March 2004, but has largely been repaired. As of April 2010 however it was still not open to the public (there’s a sign on the gate to contact the Prizren Police office for entry). There are other Serbian Orthodox Churches in Prizren including a small chapel across the street from the Cathedral which was also destroyed in March 2004.
* There are numerous mosques around town, but the largest, dominating the town center is the Mosque of Sinan Pasha.
* The city castle – has a wonderful view over the town. The castle dates from Roman era.
There is much more going on in Prizren during the Summer than any other time of the year. The main square in town, a stone piazza known as Shatervan, is the gathering point on most evenings. The piazza is surrounded by cafes, bars, restaurants and ice cream parlors. During the day this is an excellent place to sit and have a coffee, or have lunch and watch the town go about its business. The fountain in the center of the piazza is safe to drink from and is a central gathering point during hot summer afternoons. From about 9:30pm to midnight on almost every night in the summer the streets around Shatervan are crowded with locals walking the corso, meeting, chatting and drinking. In August the town hosts the Dokufest International Documentary and Short Film Festival www.dokufest.com. During the Festival the town is full of people and various parties go late at night in the bars.
The area around Prizren, particularly to the east and southwest is also scenic. Heading east from town toward the old Yugoslav ski resort of Brezovica takes you through the Zupa valley. There are numerous restaurants following the river along this route. The ski slopes at Brezovica are open and for skiing during the winter. The runs were once considered some of the best in Yugoslavia, and the site was a back-up for the Sarajevo Winter Olympics in 1984.
To the southwest, toward the Albanian border the landscape is also dramatic. About an hour’s drive from Prizren is the mountain town of Dragash. Although there is no skiing in the mountains surrounding Dragash, the area is beautiful. Friday is market day in Dragash.
The Hammam of Prizren is an early Ottoman-era monument in which oriental and local traditions combine. It was built in the heart of the city in 1563/4 by Gazi Mehmet Pasha, at the time when he was also building the nearby mosque. The hammam has two large and nine small domes and is separated into men’s and women’s sections. As one of the most precious hammams in South-East Europe, it embodies special architectural, historical, cultural and social values. Integrated for centuries in the lives of the citizens, it has become a symbol for the spiritual and cultural heritage of Prizren and its region. The building functioned as a hammam until 1944. It then served for cheese production, as a warehouse, and later the entrance area was used for cultural events. In state protection since 1954, the hammam was repaired and maintained until 1981 when it was left at the mercy of time. After the NATO intervention in Kosovo in 1999, some limited measures were undertaken for the monument’s protection.
Bajrakli Mosque- the 14th century Mosque of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, can be reached on the first left street infront of The Hamam.. Bajrakli mosque dates from 1566 and is possibly the most beautiful mosque in Prizren with ornate wood work and detailed blue-and-white paintings.
The Sofi Sinan Pasha Mosque-The Mosque of Sinan Pasha is one of the most important monuments from the occupation of Ottoman Empire in this territory. According to the inscription inside themosque Sofi Sinan Pasha, built it for his co-citizens, on hijrij year 1024 (1615). The mosque was built with walls over 2 m thick, it contains more than 50 windows, and the minaret is one of the highest in the city. The mosque is very rich in ornaments of many colors and shapes. The interior of the mosque is decorated by arabesques and other decorations of flora and fauna in the baroque style. There are two layers of paintings in it, the paintings of the time when the mosque was built (17th century) and a second layer of paintings (19th century). In the entrance the mosque has a fountain, built by the founder. The mosque also used to have a madras and a library with numerous books of different contents.
The Prizren league house- old complex where Albanian political organization founded on June 10, 1878 in Prizren. Albanian Prizren League officially started with gathering of 300 representatives of all Albanian regions. In the meeting there were also Bosnians from Bosnia and Sanxhak. The aim of the meeting was to form an autonomous Albanian state that would cover the otoman regions (vilajets) of Prizren, Shkodra, Manastir and Janina. The league was the first serious effort to create united Albanian region since the failure of Skenderbeg forces in medieval.
The River-side walk place “Marash”- follows the line of bars on the river-side. It leads to the Dokufest Camp place and if you follow the white stone passage you will find a perfect jogging ground along the astonishing nature and will be enchanted with where it takes you at the end of it! It’s a surprise! Follow the narrow white line!
The Catholic Church- stands at the top of the stone street that leads from the “Shadërvan Square”.
Tags: mosques and monasteries, Prizren town, the 14th century
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Written by admin on 04 August 2010
Gračanica
Gračanica is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321. Gračanica Monastery was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia, and on 13 July 2006 it was placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List under the name of Medieval Monuments in Kosovo as an extension of the Visoki Dečani site which was overall placed on the List of World Heritage Sites in danger.
The Gračanica Monastery is one of King Milutin’s last monumental endowments. It is situated in the village of Gračanica, a Serb enclave 5 km (3.1 mi) from Pristina. The monastery is in the close vicinity of Lipljan (ancient Roman town of Ulpiana), the old residence of bishops.
In the church three kinds of painting can be discerned. The earliest is found in the nave, whereas two later ones can be recognized in the narthex. The frescoes were painted in 1321–1322. The painting works have been well-preserved. The compositions in the nave deal with the earthly life of Jesus and the ecclesiastical calendar.
The focal paintings of Gračanica include the Festival Cycle, the Passion and the miracles of Christ. Inside the narthex, there are portraits of the founders: King Milutin and Queen Simonida, Queen Hélène d’Anjou (king’s mother) as a nun and King Milutin as a monk. Of particular importance is the Nemanjić dynasty genealogy, the first ever painted, which starts with Stefan Nemanja and ends with Milutin. Also in the narthex, there is an exhaustive illustration of the Last Judgment. The scenes from the life of St. Nicholas are in the north parecclesion, while the walls of the south one display scenes from the Old Testament and the lives of Christ and the Mother of God. The master painters supposedly were Michael and Eutihije with their assistants.
There are also considerable frescoes from 1570 in the exonarthex, commissioned by Patriarch Makarije Sokolović. There are some paintings in the narthex that date back to the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, including the Baptism of Jesus, parts of the Virgin’s Acathistus Hymns and the Ecumenical Councils. Two subjects, however, dominate the narthex of Gračanica: the Doxology to the Holy Virgin and the procession of the Serbian archbishops from Saint Sava to Patriarch Makarije Sokolović. A historical composition of the death of the Metropolitan of Gračanica Dionisije covers the southeastern part of the narthex.
The paintings of Gračanica rank highest among the achievements of Milutin’s period, characterized by influences of the Byzantine splendiferous and luxurious style called the Paleologan Renaissance. In terms of style, they are also related to the art of the other of Milutin’s foundations.
Tags: Gračanica, Kosovo, Serbian Orthodox monastery
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Written by admin on 04 August 2010
Visoki Decani Monastery
Visoki Decani Monastery is situated in the western part of the UN administered Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohia. It was built between 1327 and 1335 by the Serbian medieval king St. Stephen of Decani and was dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord. The monastery is settled in the picturesque valley of the Bistrica river surrounded by the mountains and forests of the Prokletije mountain range It is the largest and best preserved medieval monastery in Serbia. During its turbulent history the Monastery was an important spiritual centre with developed artistic and intellectual activities. Although the monastery buildings suffered damage from the Turkish occupation, the church has been completely preserved with beautiful 14th century fresco paintings. Today a young brotherhood of 30 brethren lives in the monastery continuing the centuries old tradition of the past. The brotherhood has developed various activities: wood carving, icon painting, book publishing and is also active in the missionary work. The beautiful monastic services are served according to the typicon of Mount Athos.
Visoki Dečani Monastery is a major Serbian Orthodox monastery, situated in Metohija, 12 km south from the town of Pec. Its cathedral is the biggest medieval church in the Balkans which contains the largest preserved monument of Byzantine fresco-painting.
The monastery was established in a chestnut grove by king Stefan Dečanski in 1327. Its original founding charter is dated to 1330, however. Next year the king died and was buried at the monastery, which henceforth became his popular shrine. The construction activities were continued by his son Stefan Dusan until 1335, but the wall-painting was not completed until 1350.
The cathedral, dedicated to Christ Pantocrator and built from blocks of red-purple, light-yellow and onyx marble, was constructed by master-builders under the Franciscan monk Vitus of Kotor. It is distinguished from other contemporary Serbian churches by its imposing dimensions and obvious Romanesque features. Its celebrated frescoes comprise some 1000 portraits and cover all major themes of the New Testament. The cathedral contains original 14th-century wooden iconostasis, hegumen’s throne and carved sarcophagus of king Stefan.
In 2004, UNESCO listed the monastery on the World Heritage List, citing its frescoes as “one of the most valued examples of the so-called Palaeologan renaissance in Byzantine painting” and “a valuable record of the life in the 14th century”.
Tags: Travel information, Visoki Decani Monastery
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Written by admin on 04 August 2010
Mitrovica bridge
The main bridge linking the Albanian and Serb communities in Kosovo’s most volatile city was deserted yesterday as an international group cautioned that the area was in danger of becoming a long-term “frozen conflict”.
Loops of razor wire were stretched across the road on the northern, Serb side of the Ibar river dividing Mitrovica. They also surrounded the courthouse at the centre of Monday’s clashes in which a Ukrainian UN policeman died from suspected grenade wounds.
Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, led calls for restraint after 150 were wounded in the worst day of violence since the fledgeling state declared independence a month ago. But alongside her in Moscow, Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, underlined the wide divide among world powers when he restated opposition to Kosovo’s split from Serbia.
In a café facing the barricaded river crossing Serbian campaigners were in no mood to back down. This is the spot where the divide between Kosovo’s main ethnic communities is in danger of becoming the partition line of the new country into the mainly Albanian south and the Serb north.
“If they want independence, well OK – but not on Serb territory,” said Nikola Kabasic, who was a judge working at Mitrovica court until the UN took control in 1999 after the expulsion of Slobodan Milosevic’s Serb forces.
“We shall continue our protest until that building is a court which belongs to the people who live here and who have a right to have a judiciary from their own community,” he said.
The showdown over the court is seen as the latest step in a Serb campaign to assert authority in the north, after attempts to seize key rail lines and attacks on border posts after the independence declaration on February 17.
The UN has withdrawn its police and judicial staff from northern Mitrovica, leaving a state of martial law, with French and Spanish Nato soldiers patrolling the streets and guarding the empty court building.
A UN spokesman defended Monday’s dawn raid on Serb protesters who had occupied the court, saying that it had learnt that a second UN building was about to be occupied. The spokesman added: “We spent three days trying to get the protesters out in a peaceful manner. The credible information that there was a plan to take over another building left no alternative but to retake the courthouse.”
The UN police are expected to come back as soon as relative calm returns but the violent flare-up showed the tinderbox atmosphere facing the EU when it takes over the UN’s responsibility for police and judicial issues in Kosovo later this year.
A pathfinding EU mission has abandoned its headquarters in northern Mitrovica after bomb threats and there is widespread hostility from the Serbian population after 16 EU nations formally recognised Kosovan independence.
“Serbs will definitely not accept the EU, there will be a whole new load of trouble,” said a 28-year-old man near Mitrovica’s main bridge.
“It would mean that the Kosovan government will control the north part of Kosovo where Serbs are living. The best thing is for Kosovo to stay part of Serbia but obviously the EU and the Americans do not like this.”
Mr Kabasic added: “We already have effective partition in Kosovo. We have nationality partition, we have political partition and we have religious partition. You have two separate worlds.”
The warning that Kosovo was heading for long-term, unresolved conflict came from the International Crisis Group in a report on the first month of independence. It recommended that the Government in Pristina, the EU and Nato press more countries to recognise Kosovan independence. Only 28 countries have given formal approval so far. It also called for an urgent strategy for dealing with interference from Serbia.
The group gave warning: “Belgrade is pushing Kosovo Serbs to break all contacts with Kosovo institutions and is strengthening its own control in the north. It has instructed Kosovo Serbs to oppose the new EU missions.
“There is a real risk that partition will harden at the Ibar river in the north, and Kosovo will become another frozen conflict, like the breakaway regions of Abkhazia or Nagorno-Karabakh,” it said.
Besim Hoti, a spokesman for the Kosovo police service based on the south side of the Ibar river, saw grounds for optimism despite the outbreak of violence. “We have still not had any direct clashes between the ethnic communities which is very encouraging and important for future security,” he said.
City on the edge
— Mitrovica, about 50 miles northwest of the Kosovan capital, Pristina, was the focal point of the March 2004 riots that erupted across the region after rumours circulated that Serbs had been responsible for drowning an Albanian child
— Nineteen people – 8 Kosovan Serbs and 11 Kosovan Albanians – were killed, and more than 1,000 people wounded, including 120 police officers and international peacekeepers
— A steel truss bridge over the Ibar river divides the roughly 40,000 Serbs living in the north from the 80,000 Kosovo Albanians in the south
— In late 2003 there was a slight lessening of tension between north and south. The security measures on the main bridge were relaxed and provided by Kosovo police rather than Nato
— About 77 per cent of the population are unemployed
Tags: long fight, Mitrovica bridge
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Written by admin on 04 August 2010
Pristina
Pristina is the capital city of Kosovo. Places that should be visited in Prishtina is the quarter near the National Museum of Kosova. In addition to visiting the museum where a lot of archelogical artifacts are presented, in both ways when you exit you see the old mosques, since the Ottoman Empire.
* No visit to Pristina is complete without a walking tour. To see the city from street-level is best: start off in the Dardania neighborhood, in front of the three-storey portrait of Bill Clinton, and stroll past the university to the Grand Hotel and UNMIK. Follow Nena Tereze street towards the Skenderbeg monument and the new Government Building, then point yourself toward the historic mosques and meander through the tight lanes of the old quarter. You will see street market stalls, kids hawking cigarettes and phone cards, qebabtores and cafes, and the vibrant community life of Kosovo’s biggest city. If you have more time, it’s also worthwhile wandering up into Dragodan / Arberia or Velania (especially City Park, also referred to as “the Italian park,” and the park dedicated to now-deceased President Ibrahim Rugova).
* Pristina is a brown and sprawling city, with none of the historic charm of Prizren or the imposing mountain backdrop of Pejë. But there are outposts of green, the biggest and best of which is Gërmia Park. During the summer, the lake-sized swimming pool here is a hot spot for families and young people, but year-round the park itself offers grassy spaces to relax or kick the ball around, and a network of mine-cleared trails through the dense woods perfect for dog-walking or drunken hide-and-seek tournaments. A couple of restaurants at the top of the park have good food and nice views. Also interesting to check out the cluster-bombed police bunker, just up the road from the best restaurant.
* It may be “interesting” for some visitors to see the offices of the major international organizations in Kosovo. UNMIK’s compound in the centre of town is tough to penetrate without an UNMIK card, but you spending a half-hour in Phoenix bar just outside the fence will provide you with a basic idea of what’s going on in there. A more worthwhile destination is the OSCE headquarters on Luan Haradinaj; if you can get yourself inside, the view from the restaurant on the ninth floor is excellent.
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Library of the University of Pristina
Library of the University of Pristina
A couple minute’s walk from the Grand Hotel Pristina is the library of the University of Pristina. It looks like it is constructed of massive concrete Lego bricks and then covered with chain mail. It is certainly worth a look.
* Lately Pristina is rebuilding, and some of the city roads now are new! But you still must be on the look out for large potholes!
* The museum is free, and even better than its collection is the building itself.
* Don’t miss the Pristina Ethnografic museum tucked back in the old town streets about 5 minutes walk from the main museum. Beautiful house, costumes and traditional tools.
* Check out the mosques on Nazim Gafurri Street. Jashar Pasha Mosque (near the clock tower) is currently being restored, and is closed to the public [2010], however the work that is visible on the exterior is beautifully executed in calming blues.
Tags: Balkans Travel, Pristina
Posted in Balkans Travel | No Comments »
Written by admin on 04 August 2010
Kosovo
Kosovo is a “de-facto” independent country in South Eastern Europe. After a lengthy and often violent dispute with Serbia, Kosovo declared independence in February 2008 despite heavy Serbian opposition. Kosovo is largely an Albanian speaking and Muslim area, but there are also significant numbers of minorities living within its borders, especially Serbs. Kosovo borders Albania to the west, Montenegro to the northwest, Macedonia to the south, and Serbia to the northeast.
See
* Pristina is the capital city of Kosovo. Places that should be visited in Prishtina is the quarter near the National Museum of Kosova. In addition to visiting the museum where a lot of archelogical artifacts are presented, in both ways when you exit you see the old mosques, since the Ottoman Empire.
* Waterfall Of The Drini River -Located North Of Peja Behind The Berdynaj village. During the summer this place is fantastic, and the road to the river is an amazing, narrow road with wires on one side and the river on the other this is a great part of Kosovo.
* The Peć Patriachy. The Peć patriarchy lies 2km to the north west of the Peja (Pec) city center. This location was the seat of the Patriarchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church starting in 1302 and for many Serbs is considered to be of extreme national importance. All of the Serbs who lived in Peja have either left or been forced to do so by Albanian nationalists leaving the Patriarchy to be heavily guarded by NATO troops, with a few remaining clergy. It is a beautiful monastery with many spectacular paintings. If you go, dress conservatively.
* The Rugova Gorge. The Rugova gorge is also to the north west of Peja and can be found by following the same road that leads to the Pec Patriarchy. Just drive further. The canyon has extremely steep walls reaching possibly up to 300 meters.
* The Gjakova Old Bazaar. Very beautiful old “shopping center” from 17th century. It was burned down during the war in 1999 and reconstructed recently. Also in the center of the bazaar is located an old mosque that was build in the 15th century.
* The Mitrovica Bridge. An interesting symbol of the division of the population in Kosovo. This bridge is the dividing line between Serbs and Albanians in Mitrovice/Mitrovica. It will almost always be safe to approach the bridge and look at it, although the French soldiers who guard it may not let you cross if the political situation is worse than average (average not being so good).
* Dečani Monastery. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo. It is famous for its elegant and peculiar architecture. As an orthodox monastery from the 13th century, it successfuly mixes western and eastern church building elements to form a particular hybrid style only known on the territory of old Serbia. This monastery is particularly noted for some of the world’s finest medieval frescoes adorning its walls.
* Gračanica Monastery. One of the most beautiful examples of Serbian medieval (14th c.) ecclesiastical architecture. This monastery was built by the Serbian king Milutin in the serbo-byzantine style, reportedly its shape being inspired by a cloud. It is noted for its frescoes, and being the only medieval Serbian monastery found in an urban setting complete with an old school and archives. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
* Prizren. The most historical city in Kosovo. It has plenty of beautiful Islamic architecture.
* The Roma quarter (mahalla) in Gjilan. Gjilan is located to the South East of Pristina.
* Brezovica Ski Centre – Old infrastructure but great slopes, located in Southern Kosova.
* Novo Brdo (in Latin documents written as Novaberd, Novus Mons or Novamonte; and in Saxon miners’ documents as Nyeuberghe) was mentioned in the historical documents as early as 1326. Novo Brdo was a metropolis at the time, with a huge medieval fortress built on the top of an extinct volcano cone, the remains of which can be visited today, and residential sections sprawling all around. In the outer wall of the fortress a large cross is visible, built into the stones. The castle, or fortress, was thought at one point to have dated back to the Byzantine Empire.
Novo Monte Fortress
Novo Monte Fortress
* Ulpiana , one of the oldest cities in the Balkan peninsula is just 20-30 minutes away from Pristina towards Gjilan and that is the city that is know to have been re-constructed by Justinian I emperior.
Tags: Kosovo, South Eastern Europe
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