Fshajt Bridge or Sacred Bridge (

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: ** Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the countr ...

: ''Ura e Fshejtë'' or ''Ura e Shenjtë''; sr, Švanjski most / Швањски мост) is an 18th-century stone bridge with one arch over the

White Drin Canyon The White Drin Canyon or White Drin Gorge ( sq, Gryka e Drinit të Bardhë; sr, Kanjon Belog Drima, script=Latn, ) is a small canyon located in the southwestern Kosovo. The White Drin river runs through the canyon. The canyon is relatively short, ...

in the western

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Eur ...

. It is located in the village of Fshaj, on the way from

Gjakova Gjakova, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the seventh largest city of Kosovo and seat of Gjakova Municipality and Gjakova District. The city has 40,827 inhabitants, while the municipality has 94,556 inhabitants. Geographically ...

Prizren ) , settlement_type = Municipality and city , image_skyline = Prizren Collage.jpg , imagesize = 290px , image_caption = View of Prizren , image_alt = View of Prizren , image_flag ...

. The bridge is high, wide and about long. Along with the

, the Fshajt's Bridge is legally protected since 1986.

History

The Fshajt's Bridge that was built on

White Drin The White Drin or White Drim ( sq, Drini i Bardhë,/ ''Beli Drim'') is a river in Kosovo and northern Albania, a ca. -long headstream of the Drin. Course Kosovo The Kosovo section of the White Drin flows entirely in the semi- karst part of ...

River, dates back to the 18th century. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

it was destroyed completely, but in 1942 it was rebuilt again. During the

war of Kosovo The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the war ...

in 1999 it was damaged, but it was restored by the Italian Kosovo Force (KFOR). Nowadays, the bridge that links the banks of the White Drin river, represents a key point for the transport in the road that links the city of

and

Prizren ) , settlement_type = Municipality and city , image_skyline = Prizren Collage.jpg , imagesize = 290px , image_caption = View of Prizren , image_alt = View of Prizren , image_flag ...

Tourism

20 Gjakovë - Kërcime nga Ura e Fshejt - Jumping from the Fshajt Bridge

Located at the mouth of the

, the bridge has become a popular attraction for the locals and foreign visitors. During the summer months the banks of the

at Fshajt Bridge becomes a popular destination with many families camping alongside the stretch of water. Close to the bridge there are two rocks known as "Eagle Rock" (Shkëmbi i Shqiponjës) and "Skanderbeg Rock" (Shkëmbi i Skenderbeut), which features an engraving of 15th-century Albanian nobleman

George Kastrioti Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

. The portrait of

Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

was painted in the rock in 1968 by Mexhid Yvejsi on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of his death. A traditional high-diving competition dating back to 1954 resumed in 2014 for the first time since 1999. The annual competition is attended by many local and regional competitors who show their skills in traditional jumping into river from the bridge.

Gallery

File:Ura e shenjtë.jpg, A boat at the mouth of the Fshajt Bridge and the canyon File:Ura e Shenjtë.JPG, Fshajt Bridge File:Ura e Fshajt DSC06896.JPG, The bridge seen from south-eastern part File:Ura e Fshajt.JPG, The bridge seen from the canyon in north-western part

References

Bridges in Kosovo Tourist attractions in Kosovo Ottoman bridges in Kosovo 18th-century establishments in the Ottoman Empire Gjakova Cultural heritage monuments in Gjakova District

History

Tourism

Gallery

See also

References