An Ottoman Town

Prizren, Kosovo

Aug 30, 2025

Rimmed by mountains in a large valley is Prizren, one of the best preserved towns of the Ottoman era. The red-roofed houses climb up the hillside, overlooked by the stone walls of the old Ottoman fort. The Sinan Pasha Mosque as well as other mosques date from this era as does the Gazi Mehmed Pasha Hammam, although it no longer functions as a hammam. The old Stone Bridge over the Lumbardhi (also called Bistrica) river too is originally from this time having been rebuilt more recently. There is little water in the river now but it must carry larger volumes since it was a major flood that had once destroyed the bridge. At some corners are statues of the heroes of Kosovo’s struggle for independence, a living memory for many.

The houses are a mishmash of old-style wooden buildings, new hotels catering to the influx of tourists and newer buildings yet to be finished. The electric cables form a spiderweb of wires from wooden posts on the streets.

As the oldest town in Kosovo, Prizren has made itself into a tourist mecca of sorts. The cobble-stoned streets are thronged, and a surprisingly large number of visitors are from Turkey, including big groups tours following umbrella-toting guides. Perhaps it is not so surprising, given the fact that many locals here still speak Turkish; yet another vestige of the Ottoman era. Crowded as the streets are during the blisteringly hot days, come nightfall, they are jammed. Even late into the night, it is difficult to get a table in the multitude of bars and restaurants.

The mosques maybe many but there are plenty of churches as well. The Serbian Orthodox Church has a token guard on duty outside as does the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. But it is the church of Our Lady of Ljevis that I wanted to visit, to see the frescoes inside which are supposed to be magnificent. A guard is posted outside here as well and on ringing the bell, an attendant comes along to open the locked gate. During the Ottoman era, this had been converted to a mosque and the walls inside were plastered white. The chisel marks on the walls were made to make the plaster stick, he tells me. It is slowly being renovated and magnificent it certainly is. The style of the paintings strike me as similar to the ones I saw in the Church of Dormition in Georgia . Since this was built in the 14^th century CE, maybe they were inspired by the earlier Georgian ones? The attendant is not sure.

The highlight of this town though is the fortess that is perched atop the nearby hill. A steep cobble-stoned path leads up to it and I head that way. As I climb, I pass the ruins of the Holy Savior Church and see more and more of the town below. Through one of the arched doorways I enter into the fortress. From the rampart I see the landmarks below with the river snaking its way through the center of town. Beyond the town itself, I have a sweeping view of the entire valley.

The location of this fortress is perfect! It commands a clear view on three sides, while the fourth is protected by a mountain.

The complex sprawls across the hilltop with steps, paths, archways and walls all made of stone. I clamber happily all over the place exploring nooks and crannies until the heat gets to me and I head back down.