Architecture of Kosovo
The architecture of Kosovo dates back to the Neolithic Period and includes the Copper, Bronze and Iron Ages, Roman Antiquity and the medieval period. It has been influenced by the presence of different civilizations and religions as evidenced by the structures which have survived to this day. Local builders have combined building techniques of conquering empires with the materials at hand and the existing conditions to develop their own varieties of dwellings.
The monasteries and churches from the 14th century represent the Byzantine Orthodox legacy. Architectural heritage from the Ottoman Period includes mosques and hamams from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Other historical architectural structures of interest include kullas from the 18th and 19th centuries as well as a number of bridges, urban centers and fortresses. While some vernacular buildings are not considered important in their own right, taken together they are of considerable interest. During the 1999 conflict in Kosovo, many buildings that represent this heritage were destroyed or damaged. In the Dukagjini region, at least 500 kullas were attacked, and most of them destroyed or otherwise damaged.
During the 1990s and thereafter, thousands of illegal buildings have been built in Kosovo. Rexhep Luci, the urban planner of Pristina who started an initiative to face this problem was killed in September 2000.
Roman period
Ulpiana was a settlement of religious and cultural importance in the Roman Empire that was active in from the 1st to 7th centuries. Destroyed in an earthquake in 518, the settlement was later rebuilt by the Emperor Justinian I. Ulpiana had a sustainable urban scheme typical of a Roman city in terms of street layout and water supply. It also had 3 meter thick city walls with watch towers and 5 meter wide castle gates.
Apart from Ulpiana, another notable city from the Roman Period is the Municipium Dardanorum. Among the remaining sites from this city are a the Forum (Roman), the Basilica, the temple and other buildings.
A monument dedicated to the Dardanian Empress is a site with notable architectural features from this era.
Byzantine period
Monastery in Deçan
Buildings from the Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages, when Kosovo was under the reign of the Byzantine Empire include castles in Prizren, Veletin and Kasterc, and Christian basilicas in Ulpiana, Vërmicë and Harilaq. These and other building signify cultural and spiritual developments in this area. In the Middle Ages there was a simultaneous presence of Byzantine, Catholic and Serb Orthodox Monuments.
Monastery in Deçan
The church of the monastery was built by a Franciscan Friar from Kotor called Vita (Vitus). The building is of the Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. The style it was built in is influenced by Western tradition while the main dome of the church links it with Byzantine traditions. The external part of the church contains details made of marble of different colors decorated with sculpture, while the interior part contains Byzantine frescoes. Most of the original marble furniture is still in the church which is uncommon for churches of this period from the Balkans. The church was founded by the Serbian king Serbian King Stefan Uroš III Deçanski (1321–31) and it was constructed as his mausoleum.
Ottoman period
Jashar Pasha Mosque
Jashar Pasha Mosque is 16th-century mosque located in the historical center of Prishtina and it is one of the oldest buildings in Prishtina. The mosque has a prayer hall, a porch and a minaret and it is covered with a cupola. It is an architectural monument of Kosovan style with oriental influences.
The Fortress of Prizren
The Fortress of Prizren is located in the city of Prizren. The first mention of it is from the 6th century AD and the last time it was used for non-recreational purposes was in 1912. The fortress has seen a number of civilizations and constructions in the castle have happened in different historical periods. The remains of the fortress are of point of interest from an architectural p