TravelswithCharie

The minaret of the Sinan Pasha mosque is the first landmark I spotted upon approaching the center of Prizren. It rises to 143 ft. and seems to compete in height with the Sharr Mountains in the background. When we arrived at the city center, I was pleasantly greeted by the rushing sound of the river flowing across this picturesque town. Sinan Pasha Mosque and Sveti Spas (background) Sveti Spas or the Church of the Holy Savior is a Serbian Orthodox Church from the 14th century. It was heavily damaged during the Kosovo Unrest in 2004 together with thirty five other orthodox churches. Its interior is hollow. It was listed in 1990 as a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance by the National Assembly of Serbia. Sinan Pasha Mosque was built in the 17th century under the Ottoman Empire. It is also listed as a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance. Sinan Pasha Mosque Sinan Pasha is right in the center of town but while it is surrounded by the bustle of the city, I found a quiet c

Aerial view of the National Library of Kosovo I didn’t know much about Pristina (also Prishtina or Priština) before my visit last April. The only thing on my must see list was the National Library with its intriguing domes. My guide, Eddy, had a brilliant plan to ask his friend, Fatvera, a student at the university, to show us the library. We met Fatvera, a bright and articulate young lady, at the monument to Bill Clinton where we read the stone inscriptions of the statue and billboard of the former U.S. president and talked a little bit about his legacy in Kosovo. From there Fatvera suggested we go to the Cathedral to get a bird’s eye view of Pristina and that was the best idea ever!  Andria Mutnjakovič, a Croatian architect, designed the National Library which was inaugurated in 1982. His design has received mixed reviews. The domes have been compared to the Albanian national hat, “plisi”, which didn’t sit well with the Serbian community. The  building is covered in a metal net like