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After two days in Peja it was time to move on to the city of Prizren. We departed at 9am and as we were making good time the driver suggested a detour to the town of Gjakova.
Gjakova is situated in the south-western area of Kosovo halfway between the cities of Peja and Prizren. During the Ottoman period, Gjakova served as a trading center on the route between Shkodër and Istanbul. It was also one of the most developed trade centers at that time in the Balkans. Because of this Gjakova has always been considered as a city where tolerance and coexistence in terms of religion and culture has existed. We walked into the small town past the clock tower. The Clock Tower was built in the year 1597, to fulfill the need to determine the city’s working hours, because of the fast development of trade and craftsmanship. In 1912, the tower was burned by Montenegrin military forces. After its destruction, the place where the Clock Tower once stood became known as the clock valley. After the war in Kosovo, the clock was restored, though in a different style to the original tower. However, some of the original stones are still in the structure in the western face of the tower.
We continued on through the "Old Bazaar" to the Hadumi Mosque complex. The caretaker of the mosque allowed us to go inside. There was a prayer hall, balcony and minaret. Cupolas were built directly into the hall walls, a design feature unique to this region. The interior is beautifully decorated with landscapes, cypress trees, natural landscapes, floral ornaments, and inscriptions from the Koran. Around the mosque is a cemetery where the headstones bear the names of well known personalities from Gjakova. There is also a library, which is bigger than the Mosque itself.
Returning to the minibus we walked through an area of workshops housing carpenters who still work and carve with hand tools. They create objects such as boxes for brides, cradles and hammocks for children, school desks, folding chairs for reading, bookcases, shelves and ceiling decorations. They then decorate the objects with colourful paints and carvings. The objects they create are really beautiful.
We left Gjakova and arrived into our next destination Prizren at midday. Prizren is a historical city and Kosovo's second largest city. It is located on the banks of a river, the Prizren Bistrica, and on the slopes of the Šar Mountains. It also has a border with Albania and Macedonia. We embarked on a city tour with the first stop being the monument, which thanks all of the countries that recognise Kosovo. Next we went to the Orthodox Church of the Virgin of Levisa, which is a 14th-century Serbian Orthodox church. In 1990 Serbia designated it a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance, and on 13 July 2006, it was placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The Church was guarded by KFOR (NATO's peace support operation) after the Balkan war. However, it was heavily damaged by arson during the 2004 unrest in Kosovo and now it remains closed. Our walk continued across the river into the old part of town and Prizren's Old Bazaar. Arranging to meet for dinner at 7pm the members of the group drifted off in twos and threes to find a spot for lunch.
The days are so hot with temperatures around the mid to high 30's. Just walking around really saps your energy. Even with a good dollop of Factor 30 sunscreen I can feel my skin beginning to burn. That's why most afternoons I spend a couple of hours at the hotel enjoying the coolness of the air conditioning. Today is no exception.
At 7pm I meet up with the rest of the group and we head to a restaurant in the old part right next to the river. Even at this time of night the temperature is in the low 30's and we arrive at the restaurant hot, bothered and ready for a drink!
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