UNESCO Kosovo weekend

UNESCO Kosovo weekend

Kosovo UNESCO tour will take you through top sights registered in the international organisation along with other sites which Kosovo ethnic Albanians believe should be in the list. Kosovo is not a memeber of UNESCO due to lack of political support. This is the reason there is no ethnic Albanian culture in the UNESCO protection list. In this tour you will travel through turbulent times of this region consequently different interpretation of facts.

Highlights:
Gracanica Monastery, Marble Cave, National Library, Kosovo Battle monuments, Rugova Gorge; Deçan Monastery, Prizren

Content day 1:

The tour will start with Gadime Cave, just outside of the Kosovo capital, Prishtina. A farmer in 1969 dicovered this cave an 80 million year old system or marble corridories. The cave descends 16 kilometres. The first room discovered was the apsolutely spectacular Room of Sorrows with marble tears raining down.

The tour will continue with The Gracanica Monastery (Kosovo UNESCO) one of the oldest buildings in the Kosovo’s religious sphere. A centrepiece of cultural Kosovo, the Monastery was built in the 14th century. Inside the stunningly preserved paintings cover all of the walls. Look straight up and you’ll see the face of Christ in the topmost dome enigmatically smiling down at you.

From there you will explore the Battle of Kosovo monuments with the Gazimestan and the Sultan Murad Turbe (or tomb) visits. Furthermore, you’ll step back in time to the one event that has defined Kosovo for over 600 years: The 1389 Battle of Kosovo Field. Ottoman forces defeated the allied Christian forces of Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria and Hungary. They controlled Kosovo and most of the Balkans for 500 years. Kosovo became the only place outside of Turkey where the Ottomans buried parts of the body of a Sultan. The Kosovo Field area is a place rich with religious, political, cultural and thus social and political meaning.

The tour will continue with the Prishtina City tour starting at the popular Newborn monument in the city centre. Across from Newborn the Heroinat (Heroines) monument honours the women who contributed to the liberation of Kosovo.

Content day 2:

The tour will start with a walk to the 15th century Bajrakli Mosque in the old Bazaar of Peja. One of the first mosques built in the city. The mosque still has one of the highest and oldest domes in the city. It will continue with a small walk and a drive in Rugova gorge. (Optional The Patriarchate of Peja (Kosovo UNESCO))

Subsequently, a 30 minutes drive will take you to the 300- year old Osdautaj Kulla in Isniq. It is a pristine example of the family Kulla (or Tower) found in the Dukagjin part of Kosovo. This unique piece of architecture provided a meeting place for families and communities and it is what Kosovo is known for. Few people get to see a living Kulla today. Twenty minutes drive and you will be at Deçan Monastery (1327) (Kosovo UNESCO).

City Tour Prizren once the capital of Kosovo. The It was built around the Lumbardhi river and is tucked underneath the Sharr mountains. Prizren contains holy sites for Muslims, Orthodox Christians and Catholics, consequently making it a key Kosovo religious city. Prizren Kosovo is considered by many to be a capital of cultural Kosovo -both contemporary and ancient. This blend of the old and the new makes it one of the must-see stops while visiting Kosovo.