Highlights

• Cultural sights of Pristina

• Sultan Murat Mausoleum

• Graçanica Monastery

• The ancient Roman ruins of Ulpiana

• Cave of Gadime

• Brezovica Ski Center

• Cultural sights of Gjakova, including the Prizren Castle

• The Mirusha River waterfalls

Day One: Explore Pristina, a modern city with traces of ancient cultures – Illyrian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman

We start at 10:00 am with visits to the Ethnographical Museum, the Emin Gjiku’s House, the Imperial Mosque built in 1461 by the Turkish Sultan Mehmet II (known as the Conqueror), the Imperial Bath built in 1461 and the Jashar Pasha Mosque, built between the 6th and 9th centuries – all built in a similar architectural style. We continue to the Tower Clock (Sahat kulla) built in 1764, which contains is a bell brought from Romania , the Museum of Kosovo, which presents Kosovo’s cultural heritage since pre-historic times, the Kosova Art Gallery; and Albanian Catholic Church. We will also see the Parliament building, statue of Mother Teresa, National Art Gallery, and statue of Zahir Pajaziti, a KLA commander during the Kosovo War.

Day Two: Outskirts of Pristina and beyond

We will visit the Sultan Murat Mausoleum, built by Sultan Pajaziti and located where the Turkish Sultan Murat was killed during the Kosova Battle of 1389 when the “Christian Coalition forces of the Balkan Nations” fought against the Ottoman army. A monument for the “Kosova Heroes,” at the battlefield commemorates the event. We will then travel to the Graçanica Monastery, which dates from a 4th century era Illyrian–Dardanian Church. From there, we will continue to the ancient Roman ruins of Ulpiana, which dates to the 2nd century and was reputedly the most beautiful city of Illyrian Dardania. A variety of items were found on the site -- coins, ceramic dishes, weapons, and jewelry – which are now displayed in the Kosova Museum. We will also visit the 14th-15th century Artana Castle and Marble Cave of Gadime, which contains stunning stalactites and stalagmites and layers of multicolored marble. We will then visit the Brezovica Ski Center located in the Sharri National Park, and continue to Prizren and an overnight stay in the Resort Prevalla.

Day Three: Prizren – Gjakova – along the Middle Age era trade route to Dubrovnik

We will visit the Stone Bridge built in Prizren in 1534 by Ali Bag, Prizren Hamam also built in 1534, the Sinan Pasha Mosque, the Museum house of Prizren’s Albanian League. On June 10th,1878, patriots and intellectuals from all over the Albanian lands, established a political, military and cultural program to protect Albanian territories. We will then visit the ruins of the Roman era Prizren Castle, the Orthodox Temple of Our Holy Church of Ljevish, and Monastery of Saint Archangel built near the city between 1343 and 1352. We will spend some time in the old shopping center, which offers famous handicrafts made from silver (“filigree”). On the trip from Prizren to Gjakova, we will visit the Tailors’ Bridge, a grand stone bridge of eleven arches, which was reputedly built 300 years ago by the tailors of Gjakova and Prizren as an important link to the strategic trade route known as “Via Egnatia”, a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC, which crossed Illyricum, Macedonia, Greece and European Turkey. In Gjakova, we will visit a traditional shopping bazaar area, which exemplifies Kosovo traditional architecture, the Hadum Mosque and “Teqja e Bektashive,” a feudal house, and the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Day Four: Mirusha Waterfalls - Deçan - Peja

We visit the waterfalls of the Mirusha River and continue towards Peja, stopping en-route at the Orthodox Deçan Monastery, and the Patriarchate in Peja, both of which feature outstanding examples of paintings from the 13th to the 17th centuries. The Dukagjini region, which includes Prizren, Gjakova, Deçan and Peja, is well known for its large number of “kullas,” traditional Albanian stone houses dating from the last decades of the Ottoman Empire. We will visit Haxhi Zeka’s Kulla at Isniq, situated at the foot of the Accursed Mountains, 12 kms from Peja. We will then drive through the Rugova Valley Gorge, an excellent place for camping, fishing, skiing and climbing, and the Bogë Valley. Our day ends with lunch in Istog/Burim, at the restaurant “Trofta”, which has the biggest trout pool in Kosovo.

Contact:

FIBULA AIR TRAVEL AGENCY

Str. Nëna Terezë 47,Prishtinë – Republic of Kosova

Tel: 038 24 25 26; Fax: 038 24 59 82 ; Mob: 049 24 25 26

E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.fibula-ks.com

Tags: kosovo