User:Gjeraqina/Architecture in Kosovo

The architectural heritage of Republic of Kosovo dates back to the Neolithic Period and includes the Copper, Bronze and Iron ages, the Roman Antiquity and the Medieval Period. It is influenced by the presence of different civilizations and religions in the territory with remaining sites stretching through those periods.

There remain monasteries and churches from the 14th century that represent the Byzantine Orthodox legacy. Architectural heritage from the Ottoman Period includes mosques and hamams from the 16th and 17th centuries. Other historical architectural structures of interest include kullas from the 18th and 19th and 19th centuries as well as a number of bridges, urban centers and fortresses. While some vernacular buildings aren't considered to be very important by themselves, their joint significance is considerable. During the 1999 conflict in Kosovo, many buildings that represent this heritage have been destroyed or damaged.

Roman Period
Ulpiana was a settlement of religious and cultural importance in the Roman Empire that was active in the centuries I - VII. The city was destroyed in an earthquake in 518 was later rebuilt by the Emperor Justinian I. Ulpiana 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. Among the remaining sites from this city are a the Forum (Roman), the Basilica, the temple and other buildings.

A monument dedicated to the Dardanian Empress is a site with notable architectural features from this era.

Byzantine Period
Buildings from the Late Antiquity and Early Middle Ages, when Kosovo was under the reign of the Byzantine Empire include castles in Prizren, Veletin and Kasterc, and christian basilicas in Ulpiana, 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 Serb Orthodox Monuments.

Jashar Pasha Mosque
Jashar Pasha Mosque is 16th century mosque located in the historical center of Prishtina and it is one of the oldest buildings in Prishtina. The mosque has a prayer hall, a porch and a minaret and it is covered with a cupola. It is an architectural monument of Kosovan style with oriental influences.

The fortress of Prizren
The Fortress of Prizren is located in the city of Prizren. 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.

Hotel Union Building
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.

Christ the Saviour Cathedral
Construction of the Cathedral began 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 [listed] cultural heritage objects since it is not an old building" he continues.

Archimandrite Sava Janjic, of the Visoki Decani 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 Blessed Mother Teresa in Pristina
The initiators of the project for building the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Pristina are Ibrahim Rugova and Mark Sopi, who set the cornerstone cornerstone for the building on June 26, 2005. Construction began on September 5, 2007 and it was formally opened by president Fatmir Sejdiu on September 5, 2000.

Its architectural style belongs to the neo-renaissance Italian style from the XVI century and it was designed by the Architectural Association of Rome. The Cathedral has a 70 meter high tower.