KOSOVO – PRIZREN

APRIL 21, 2025

Prizren was just an overnight stop. When we got into town we were met with row after row of Soviet looking apartment buildings.

Our guesthouse in the older part of town and was amazing, as all guesthouses in the Balkans were. Always spacious, well equipped

and this one had a view of the FORTRESS. Bonus! and for only $56 per night! Bonus Bonus!

We did not go up to the fortress, as we were kind of fortressed out. EVERY small village we went through had a fortress on a hill. Some were in better looking shape than others, but there were seemingly hundreds of them.

Google says there are 158 in the Balkan states. However, a fellow in Quroa posted this, “Wtf man the place is loaded with castles. Though the majority around my place in North Macedonia are ancient ones and in ruins. Almost every town has a castle. If the town doesn’t have a castle, it means it was either a marketplace (like my town) and has only watch towers, or resting place, or both. Every damn place has a castle here.” I rest my case…..

We decided to simply take a walk and see what we could see. It looked like a medieval town, with stone fountains and street gutters seemingly still in use.

We walked past HAMMAM of GAZI MEHMET PASHA. It was build between 1573-1574 as part of a mosque, school, library and mausoleum. It was constructed in stone and has 20 domes, the two larger ones covered in tiles and the smaller ones in lead.

Hammams were central to the culture of their city. It was a place to wash before entering the mosque and a social gathering area. When this hammam closed its doors, even the locals were left wondering what the interior looked like. It once had beautiful gardens surrounding it. Every once in a while it opens its doors as a gallery for artistic activities. However, the glamour, life and magic are mere ghosts of a distant past.

I think I mentioned in a previous blog that the people park their cars anywhere and everywhere, and simply go for coffee.

We came to OUR LADY OF LJEVIS. Built in 1306 it is on the UNESCO World Heritage in Danger list. As far as I could tell, it is now a museum. We did not enter, as it was late and it was closed.

SINAN PASHA MOSQUE was built in the early 1600s and is a dominant feature of the city’s skyline. It overlooks the main street.

The beautiful ARASTA MOSQUE MINARET is all that remains of a historic Ottoman mosque. It was built in the 16th century, but sadly the mosque was demolished in 1963 by the Yugoslavian government in the name of “modernization.” I don’t see “modern” buildings this ornamental or standing for a fraction of the time. The minaret is unusual as it has a six-pointed star or seal of Solomon at the top to ward away demons. Maybe they were afraid to demolish it.

The original OLD STONE BRIDGE was built in the 16th century. The original bridge had three arches with the middle one being the highest and two smaller side arches. It suffered major damage in the 1960s during the construction of the Lumbardh riverbed. Its left side arch was closed entirely. The right hand arch was damaged due to the construction of the road on the right side of the river in 1963. The biggest damage came in November 1979. A flood destroyed the entire bridge. The people rallied and rebuilt the bridge in 1982. The former length was 30 metres (98.4 ft), the current bridge is 17 metres (55.7 ft). It is only used for pedestrians.

We had dinner along the banks of the river. It was a beautiful spot to enjoy a quaint evening meal.

Most countries are not shy about advertising their BUTCHER SHOPs like we are in Canada. Whole sides of meat hung in the shop window. Inside, row upon row of sausages and other meat products are on display.

Our short stay was restful and entertaining. We were on our way to Shkoder, Albania.