The architecture of Kosovo dates back to the

Neolithic period The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wid ...

and includes the

Copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

Bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

and

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

Antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...

and the

Medieval period In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

. 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

Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The majority of the populat ...

legacy. Architectural heritage from the

Ottoman period The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Central Euro ...

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.

Antiquity

Ancient

Ulpiana Ulpiana was an ancient Roman city located in what is today Kosovo. It was also named Justiniana Secunda (, , ). Ulpiana is located in the municipality of Gračanica, 12 km southeast of Pristina. The ''Minicipium Ulpiana'' or ''Iustiniana ...

was a settlement of religious and cultural importance in the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

, that was active from the 1st to 7th centuries. Destroyed in an earthquake in 518, the settlement was later rebuilt by the emperor

Justinian I Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...

. The city 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 Municipium Dardanorum or Municipium DardanicumThe Illyrians by J. J. Wilkes, 1992, , p. 258,"In the south the new city named municipium Dardanicum, was another 'mining town' connected with the local workings (Metalla Dardanica)." was a Roman ...

. Among the remaining sites from this city are the

forum Forum or The Forum may refer to: Common uses *Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States *Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city **Roman Forum, most famous example * Internet forum, discussion board ...

, the basilica, the temple and other buildings. According to geo-physical research conducted by an Albanian archaeologist and foreigners, more than 100 ha worth of objects lie in Ulpiana. On the north side of the city is the cemetery, where many objects have been found: the foundations of a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

(

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...

-Christian) of early Christianity built in the beginning of the 4th century by

Emperor Justinian Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565. His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized '' renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition w ...

. Also found is the north entry of the city with its walls and a memorium, a room or a form of funeral. The ruins of a building with a beautiful mosaic are found in the south of the city. The research mainly focused on antique objects which have been found on the sides of the main road which connected the antique city with the rest of the region. Attention was given to the findings of the objects in the north entrance of the city. With the addition of the use of air photography and satellites in the past years archaeologists, with no costly digging, were able to find and describe lots of big antique buildings which included a public bathroom, the forum (administrative center of the city), a residency of the bishop in the era of the early Christianity, and a baptismal chapel.Archaeological Guide of Kosovo
Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Archaeological Institute of Kosovo, Pristina 2012 A monument dedicated to the Dardanian Empress is a site with notable architectural features from this era.

Middle Ages

Buildings from the

Late Antiquity Late antiquity marks the period that comes after the end of classical antiquity and stretches into the onset of the Early Middle Ages. Late antiquity as a period was popularized by Peter Brown (historian), Peter Brown in 1971, and this periodiza ...

and

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...

, when Kosovo was under the reign of the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

include castles in

Prizren Prizren ( sq-definite, Prizreni, ; sr-cyr, Призрен) is the second List of cities and towns in Kosovo, most populous city and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality of Kosovo and seat of the eponymous municipality and District of Prizren, ...

, Veletin and Kasterc and Christian basilicas in

, 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 Orthodox Monuments.

Byzantine period

The Fortress of Prizren is located in the city of

. 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 point of view. Although it is an important historical monument, archaeological excavations haven't been completed.

Serbian period

The church of the monastery in

Deçan Deçan (, ; , ) is a town and municipality in the district of Gjakova, Kosovo. The municipality has an area of and it includes the town and 37 smaller settlements. According to the last census of 2024, the municipality has a population of 27,7 ...

was built by a Franciscan Friar from

Kotor Kotor (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian language, Italian: ), is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has ...

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

Stefan Dečanski Stefan Uroš III, , known as Stefan of Dečani ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Дечански, Stefan Dečanski, ( – 11 November 1331), was King of Serbia from 6 January 1322 to 8 September 1331. Dečanski was the son of King Stefan Milutin (). He ...

(1321–31) and it was constructed as his mausoleum.

Ottoman period

The Imperial Mosque, also known as King's Mosque (), is a mosque built in 1461 by Sultan

Mehmed II Mehmed II (; , ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (; ), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481. In Mehmed II's first reign, ...

. Based on the monument, structure, construction way and decorative elements it ranks among the most important buildings of Islamic architecture in

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...

. Jashar Pasha Mosque is a 16th-century mosque located in the historical center of

Pristina Pristina or Prishtina ( , ), . is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and District of Pristina, district. In antiquity, the area of Pristina was part of the Dardanian Kingdo ...

and it is one of the oldest buildings in Pristina. The mosque has a prayer hall, a porch and a

minaret A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...

and it is covered with a cupola. It is an architectural monument of Kosovan style with oriental influences.

Yugoslav period

Monument of Brotherhood and Unity in Pristina

In 1950, at the outset of Socialist Yugoslavia, the motto of the State as far as city planning was concerned was "Destroy the old, build the new". A 1959 book by the Municipal National Council of Pristina called "Prishtina" shows the intentions of the regime at the time to lose the city's previous characteristics in the quest to give it more modern traits. The book boasts about 2200 newly built apartments, a number of health facilities, administrative buildings and schools, 130.000 square meters of new roads and pavements. According to this book, the new look of Pristina was to be built on the ruins of the old city. New memorials were being erected and special care was being given to set new aesthetic foundations on the city. Immediately following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Yugoslavia's brief association with the

Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...

ushered in a short period of socialist realism. Centralization within the communist model led to the abolition of private architectural practices and the state control of the profession. During this period, the governing Communist Party condemned modernism as "bourgeois formalism," a move that caused friction among the nation's pre-war modernist architectural elite. Socialist realist architecture in Yugoslavia came to an abrupt end with

Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito ( ; , ), was a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and politician who served in various positions of national leadership from 1943 unti ...

's 1948 split with Stalin. In the following years the nation turned increasingly to the West, returning to the modernism that had characterized pre-war Yugoslav architecture. During this era, modernist architecture came to symbolize the nation's break from the USSR (a notion that later diminished with growing acceptability of modernism in the Eastern Bloc). The Yugoslav break from Soviet socialist realism combined with efforts to commemorate World War II, which together led to the creation of an immense quantity of abstract sculptural war memorials, known today as ''spomenik'' including the Monument of Brotherhood and Unity in Pristina's centre. In the late 1950s and early 1960s

Brutalism Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...

began to garner a following within Yugoslavia, particularly among younger architects, a trend possibly influenced by the 1959 disbandment of the

Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne The ''Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne'' (CIAM), or International Congresses of Modern Architecture, was an organization founded in 1928 and disbanded in 1959, responsible for a series of events and congresses arranged across Europ ...

. With 1950s decentralization and liberalization policies in

SFR Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...

, architecture became increasingly fractured along ethnic lines. Architects increasingly focused on building with reference to the architectural heritage of their individual socialist republics in the form of

critical regionalism Critical regionalism is an approach to architecture that strives to counter the placelessness and lack of identity of the International Style, but also rejects the whimsical individualism and ornamentation of Postmodern architecture. The stylings ...

. The Hotel Union building is located in the center of Pristina. It is a three-storey, L-shaped building of Austro-Hungarian architectural style with a surface of 500 square meters on the ground. It was designed by an Austrian architect and built in 1927 when it was used as a hotel. Because it is a distinguished example of that particular architectural style in Kosovo it was declared a protected cultural monument 1996. On August 22, 2009, the building caught on fire and sustained major damages. The building and the surrounding area went through a restoration Arassociati studio that made it functional again. Now it is operated by The United Colors of Benetton and is called Benetton Megastore in Pristina. The store was opened on September 9, 2013. The roof has remained its original form while the entrance has been given a new urban layout. The Palace of Youth and Sport, commonly called Boro-Ramizi, was built in 1977 with a surface of and was intended to be used for social, public, cultural and sport activities. The building caught fire in February 2000 due to an electrical malfunction. Now only the shopping center part of the building is functional. File:Hotel Unioni, Prishtinë.jpg, The Hotel Union Building after restoration File:Bororamiz.jpg, Palace of Youth and Sport (''Boro-Ramizi'') File:National University Library of Kosovo.jpg, The domes of

Andrija Mutnjaković Andrija (; sr-cyr, Андрија) is a South Slavic masculine given name. It is cognate to Greek ''Andreas'', or English Andrew. Notable people with the name include: *Andrija, Prince of Hum (fl. 1203–50), medieval nobleman from the Vukanović ...

National Library of Kosovo The National Library of Kosovo (; ) is the highest library institution in Kosovo established by the Assembly and is located in Pristina. The mission of the library is to collect, preserve, promote and make accessible the documentary and intellect ...

(1982) in

nod to Kosovo's Islamic heritage

Contemporary architecture

Christ the Saviour Cathedral

Construction of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Pristina began in 1995; and although it was meant to be finished in 1999, construction was halted by the Kosovo War. There are different groupings that either support the demolition, the completion or the conversion of the building to a museum. Some Albanians support its demolition or conversion, the reason being that it was built for political and not religious reasons but there are others that support its completion. According to Albanian Architect Eduard Morina who supports demolishing the cathedral or repurposing it, the cathedral "... doesn’t have any architectural values and is not among istedcultural heritage objects since it is not an old building" he continues. Archimandrite Sava Janjic, of the

Visoki Decani The Old town of Visoki ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Stari grad Visoki, Стари град Високи, ) was a medieval royal castle town built during the 14th century on the top of the hill overlooking town of Visoko, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Visoko, Bosni ...

monastery, on the other hand, strongly support making it functional. According to him, the cathedral is of architectural significance and "... it is a very interesting mixture of traditional and modern architecture, that shows that one must respect tradition, but also look into the future." After the war in Kosovo, the cathedral was bombed and structural damage was caused to it. In the aftermath of the war the church was bombed by unknown attackers and put under the protection of NATO peacekeepers for some years.

Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa in Pristina

The initiators of the project for building the Roman Catholic cathedral in Pristina are

Ibrahim Rugova Ibrahim Rugova (; 2 December 1944 – 21 January 2006) was a Kosovo Albanians, Kosovo-Albanian politician, scholar, and writer, who served as the President of the partially recognised Republic of Kosova, serving from 1992 to 2000 and as President ...

and Mark Sopi, who set the cornerstone for the building on June 26, 2005. Construction began on September 5, 2007, and it was formally opened by president

Fatmir Sejdiu Fatmir Sejdiu (; born 23 October 1951) is a Kosovo Albanian politician. He was the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and was the 1st President of Republic of Kosovo. Early life and education Fatmir Sejdiu was born on 23 October 1 ...

on September 5, 2000. Its architectural style belongs to the neo-renaissance Italian style from the 16th century, and it was designed by the Architectural Association of Rome. The cathedral has a 70-meter-high tower. File:Kosova Government Building (1).jpg, Kosovo Government building File:Prishtina International Airport "Adem Jashari" Limak Kosovo.jpg, Prishtina International Airport "Adem Jashari"

Vernacular architecture

Kulla

The type of building called '' kulla'' is a fortified residential building built in Kosovo, mainly in the

Metohija Metohija (), also known in Albanian as Dukagjini, (, ) is a large drainage basin, basin and the name of the region covering the southwestern part of Kosovo. The region covers 35% (3,891 km2) of Kosovo's total area. According to the 2024 ce ...

region. The Albanian word ''kulla'' means "tower" in English. This is a type of building that was initially built from wood and stone and eventually only from stone. This type of building is typical for the Kosovan School of National Albanian Building and they have been built exclusively by the Albanian population in Kosovo. They are also the only buildings in Kosovo that haven't been influenced by foreign styles. Kullas are heavily fortified buildings with small windows and shooting holes, because their main purpose was to offer security in a fighting situation. The first kullas that were built are from the 17th century, a time when there was continuous fighting in the Dukagjini region, although most of the ones that still remain are from the 18th or 19th century. They are almost always built within a complex of buildings with various functions but kullas in towns exist mostly as standalone structures. They are also positioned within the complex of buildings that they exist in a way that makes it possible for the inhabitants to survey the surrounding area. Kullas in towns are usually built as standalone structures, while in villages they are more commonly found as a part of a larger ensemble of kullas and stone houses, usually grouped based on the family clan they belonged to. Most kullas are three-storey buildings. A characteristic unit of its architectural structure in "Oda e burrave" (Chamber of Men or Gathering Room of Men) which was usually placed in the second floor of the Kulla, called Divanhane, while the ground floor served as a barn for cattle and the first floor was where the family quarters were located. The material from which the Divanhane is constructed, either wood or stone, is sometimes used to classify Kullas. File:Kulla e Zahir Pajazitit.jpg, Kulla of Zahir Pajaziti File:Kulla e Tahir Mehes ne Prekaz.jpg, Kulla of

Tahir Meha Tahir Meha (10 October 1943 – 13 May 1981) was an Albanian political activist and major figure in the Kosovar Albanian resistance during Yugoslav rule. His refusal to surrender his weapons to Yugoslav authorities escalated into armed confrontati ...

, Prekaz File:18 Gjakovë Kulla Koshit - Koshi Tower.jpg, Kulla of Koshi, Gjakovë File:Kulla e Osdautajve, Isniq.jpg, Kulla of Osdautajve, Isniq File:Arkitekturë - Kulla, Gjakovë.JPG, Modernised Kulla, Gjakovë

Peja

The architecture of Peja describes a large mixture of architectural structures which are a reflection of the influential foreign rule all across the city. The architecture of the city consists of buildings, structures and constructions which were built with an architectural influence of the

Byzantine architecture Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire, usually dated from 330 AD, when Constantine the Great established a new Roman capital in Byzantium, which became Constantinople, until the Fall of Cons ...

Serbo-Byzantine architecture The Serbo-Byzantine architectural style or Vardar architectural school (or "style"), is an ecclesiastical architectural style that flourished in the Serbian Late Middle Ages (ca. 1300–1389), during the reign of the Nemanjić dynasty. It was dev ...

Ottoman architecture Ottoman architecture is an architectural style or tradition that developed under the Ottoman Empire over a long period, undergoing some significant changes during its history. It first emerged in northwestern Anatolia in the late 13th century an ...

Stalinist architecture Stalinist architecture (), mostly known in the former Eastern Bloc as Stalinist style or socialist classicism, is the architecture of the Soviet Union under the leadership of Joseph Stalin, between 1933 (when Boris Iofan's draft for the Palace o ...

(former Yugoslavia), and Modern cultures/architectures. Because of this there are many churches, mosques, buildings which are attraction points in the city and were built by the aforementioned influences. The foreign rule of the Ottoman and

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular **Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans ** Serbian language ** Serbian culture **Demographics of Serbia, includes other ethnic groups within the co ...

empires and the historical influence of former

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

(communist era) have shaped the architectural landscape of the city to become a conglomerate of cultures.

References

External links

Opening of cathedral in Kosovo
{{Kosovo topics , collapsed Kosovan art Monuments and memorials in Kosovo