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Somewhere Back In Time
February 2009

Flag Kosovo  Flag Serbia Kosovo: Mosques in Prishtina Flag Serbia  Flag Kosovo

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The new Hasan Beg mosque in Pristina, financed by Saudi Arabia

This is the very recent Hasan Beg Mosque.
A sign at the entrance says it's financed by the government of Saudi Arabia.
Strangely enough, Saudi Arabia hasn't recognized Kosovo as an idependent country, but it still finances mosques on its territory.
I don't know what game they're playing...

The Carshi Mosque and the Kosovo Museum reflected on a modern building

 
The Carshi Mosque in Pristina

Carshi Mosque stands in Pristina old town center.
It is the oldest standing building in Prishtina today.

It was built in the early 15th century by Sultan Bayazid to commemorate the victory of the Ottoman forces in 1389.

In those days, Carshi Mosque overlooked the old covered bazaar of Prishtina, but today the old bazaar is gone.

Carshi Mosque's symbol is its stonetopped minaret. The mosque's nickname is "Tas Mosque", which means "Stone Mosque".
Jashar Pasha Mosque in Pristina, Kosovo

This is Jashar Mehmet Pasha, and it's the finest mosque I found in Prishtina. The inside paintings are really beautiful.


According to inscriptions inside the mosque, it was built in 1834.

Jashar Mehmet Pasha was the Governor of Skopje in 1842.

Mbretit Mosque (Sultan Mehmet II al-Fatih Mosque), Pristina, Kosovo

This one is the Mbretit Mosque, or Sultan Mehmet II al-Fatih Mosque. It's Prishtina's largest mosque. It also boast the biggest dome of any mosque in the Balkans.

This mosque was built in 1460 by Sultan Mehmet II al-Fatih - the Conqueror.

The mosque has been restored in the 17th Century and after the 1955 earthquake the minarest was repaired.
Today the mosque is again under restoration.
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Rite of Passage: Backpacking 'Round Europe

In Rite of Passage, backpackers taking their all-important first visit to Europe tell it like it really is. They describe crossing the language barrier in Corfu, meeting the locals in Prague, surviving hostel life in London, finding love in Paris and overindulging in Greece.
Mbretit Mosque (Sultan Mehmet II al-Fatih Mosque), Pristina, Kosovo
The Square in front al-Fatih Mosque has always been a meeting point for locals. It's right in the heart of the old town.

In front of the mosque there's the now-ruined Great Hammam of Prishtina.
Legend tells that Sultan Mehmet al-Fatih ordered all workers hired to build the Fatih mosque to take daily baths in the Hammam.

The Great Hammam of Prishtina was built in the 15th century as a double Hammam, with separate sections for men and women. It is one of the oldest Ottoman structures in Prishtina.
The Great Hammam of Prishtina, Kosovo The original function of the Hammam was abandoned in the 60s and the building was later used as a warehouse.

Since 1989, no real maintenance works had been done.

After a fire in 1994, three shops were constructed, effectively covering the old entrance.
Cleaning and restoration of the Great Hammam of Prishtina begun in 2007.
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