Impressions and Visuals of Kosovo

Impressions and visuals of Kosovo, 

land locked neighbor to the east of Albania

Peter and I have visited Kosovo on 3 occasions. From the capital, Pristina, to the Albanian border town of Prizren to the "hot spot" in northern Kosovo near the Serbian border to the beautiful mountains, this is a fascinating country. 

Not to insult your intelligence but here is a little history..1992/93 was the Kosovo/ Bosnian war with Serbia and several other surrounding countries. Below is both residual destruction from that war and continuing animosity on the Serbian border. There are beautiful mountains, industrious people, a big international presence in the capital and northern areas, keeping peace and ancient religious buildings that are often heavily destroyed.

It is interesting to attempt to tell the difference between Albanians and Albanian Kosovars. While historically they were one, many Albanians like to point out the differences. If Serbians had not settled in Kosovo, people would be called Kosovars but religion necessitated that one distinguished oneself as Muslim (Albanian Kosovars) and Serbian Orthodox (Serbian Kosovars - a small minority of the population).  I think the Albanian Kosovars look down on Albanians, perhaps because of the 50 years of isolation and poverty. They swarm to the Albanian coast in the summer and overwhelm the Albanians. However, when the war was on, the Albanians sheltered hundreds of thousands of Albanian Kosovars in Albania. 

Pristina, Capital

In the center of town is the a long wall of mostly men who are unaccounted for since the war in the early 1990s

This is a well preserved Ottoman House with lots of carved wooden detail

One of many

The Albanian flag is common as Albanian Kosovars are reluctant to be associated with Serbia and thereby acknowledging a common flag

"New Born"

A bit of an unusual selection of kids toys on the busy pedestrian street

Far more women obvious Muslim women in Kosovo. Many Kosovars are amazed when they visit Tirana and see a new big Orthodox church, a big Catholic church and the Mosque with no animosity 

Prizren, a city next to a beautiful mountain range on the Albanian border

View from the castle toward town

These two photos depict a Serbian neighborhood, still destroyed and ghost like

Old bridge in town

Right out of town, a mountain road takes you from the green hills to fresh snow covered landscape

The Rugova range of mountains on the Albanian, Montenegro, Kosovo border

This Monastery is very active. To enter one must leave your passport with the Italian Army that stands guard over the facility

Mitrovica, city near the Serbian border in Kosovo

The river that runs through town divides the Serbian population (north) from the Albanian Kosovars (south)

This war monument is dubbed " the great BBQ grill" on the left

On the north side of town, graffiti telling Albanian Kosovars to go home (i.e. leave Kosovo)

Many journalists have captured this photo. It is the main bridge in town and on occasion, the Serbs have dumped mounds of rocks to block the flow of traffic from one side of town to another

This is an Albanian Kosovar war hero. It is a big bill board in the center of town.

Serbian market where I found turnips and parsnips. Yippie!

Serbian politician or a wannabe

There is police presence all over town. This is an Italian outfit

There are plenty of American flags. Because we entered the war and bombed Serbia, the Albanian Kosovars fly it frequently, take Thanksgiving as an official holiday and have to be the best friend of the US in the world!

Traveling with our Albanian friends and our US friend who works in the dicey town of Mitrovica with a USAID project. One of her Albanian Kosovar colleagues was recently shot in the leg one evening in a political act of violence.