Tourism in Kosovo
Tourism in Kosovo Visit Kosovo
Information about tourism in Kosovo
Tourism in Kosovo is one of the most important European nature destinations. Where it has many activities, events and different attractions that tourists can enjoy during their visit to this beautiful natural country.
A country located in southeastern Europe (the Balkans region) bordered by the Republic of Macedonia on the southeast, Serbia to the northeast, Montenegro to the northwest, and Albania to the south
Its capital is Pristina. The name Kosovo comes from the Serbian word “kos” which means “black bird”. The Serbian pronunciation is Kosovo, while the Albanian pronunciation is Kosovo. As for the historical Ottoman name for Kosovo, it is Kosova (in Ottoman: the state of Qusuh).
Culture and history
It was part of the Ottoman Empire for five centuries since it was conquered by the Ottoman Sultan Murad I in 1389. After the First Balkan War in 1912, the two kingdoms of Serbia and Montenegro shared the lands of Kosovo. After the end of the First World War, Kosovo became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During World War II, Yugoslavia was occupied and Kosovo was annexed to Albania, which was under Italian occupation.
The Republic of Kosovo is located in the Balkans in Europe. It has an area of 10,887 km2 (4,203 sq mi) and a population of about 2 million. It is located between latitudes 41 ° and 44 ° N, and longitudes 20 ° and 22 ° E. It has borders with Albania in the west, Macedonia in the south, Serbia in the north, and Montenegro in the northwest. The main rivers in the region are the Dorim Belli River, which flows towards the Adriatic Sea, and the Abyaar River is a tributary of the Morava River. Forests constitute 39.1% of Kosovo. Its climate is continental, hot in summer and cold in winter.
Muslims make up 95% of the population of Kosovo, and Islam was directed to the region with the Ottoman conquest in the 15th century. There is also a minority of Roman Catholics. The first Islamic university was established in 1992 in Pristina, the capital.
Today, there are more than 800 mosque mosques in Kosovo, while about 100 others are being built in the various regions of Kosovo, including the construction project for the largest mosque in the entire Balkan region in the capital, Pristina. Friday sermons and religious lessons are given, and supplications are recited in the Albanian, Bosnian and Turkish languages. Teaching within the Qur’anic schools and Islamic schools is also done in the three languages.
Tourist areas in Kosovo
Gazivoda
It is the largest and most beautiful lake in Kosovo. The artificial lake was built in 1977 as part of the water system that provides irrigation and drinking water to northern and central Kosovo. The lake is made up of one of the largest earth dams in Europe and extends across the border into Serbia. Its panoramic position amid the Rogozna Mountains makes it one of Kosovo’s most scenic natural attractions. The lake stretches 24 km in length and provides great opportunities for swimming, hiking and mountain biking. There are many small beaches along Gazivoda.
Prishtina
It is a city that you fall in love with at first sight. As it is a mixture between Ottoman heritage, communist designs and recently built architecture. This modest mixture of the new and the old, the Ottoman and the communist, the innovative and the traditional, gives Pristina a unique urban feel.
A century ago, Pristina was a multicultural and vibrant commercial city, mosques, Catholic and Orthodox churches decorated the city skyline and a small Jewish community set up its own schools. The strong transformation from an Ottoman trading city to a communist capital left many milestones in the city.