It was another pleasant day in
Prishtina with a lot more to see so we decided to spend another day walking through Prishtina. As we walked, we saw several memorials to
Ibrahim Rugova, the first President of
Kosovo.
Click on my photos below to see them in high resolution on Flickr. You can view the photos in high resolution by clicking
here!
Yes, there really is a statue of
Bill Clinton in Prishtina! Without trying to explain the complexities of the
Kosovo War, suffice it to say that the
Albanian population of Kosovo was being oppressed by military and security forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia prior to the start of the Kosovo War in 1998. Albanians in Kosovo were being fired from their jobs and evicted from their homes.
President Clinton supported the efforts of Albanian Kosovars to create an independent state and authorized US participation in the
NATO bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The campaign began on March 24th, 1999 and ended June 11th, 1999. It led to the rapid end of the Kosovo War on June 12th when NATO ground forces arrived in Kosovo.
As an American in Kosovo, I can say that we felt truly welcome and were treated with great hospitality and appreciation. I would definitely visit Kosovo again!
After the war, Prishtina began to grow rapidly and continues today. Apartment buildings are still going up everywhere we looked. We often woke up to the sound of construction near our hotel (
Hotel Afa).
Apartment Blocks Under Construction
Consumer goods are available although the economy is depressed. While Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe, unemployment is high.
Super Viva Cafe
A potent combination of Cafeine, Codeine, paracetamol and propyphenazone
Prishtina has an very active cafe scene! Off limits to cars, Mother Teresa Boulevard offers a pleasant walk with outdoor vendors and cafes on each side of the street. It is a great location for a coffee and some great people watching!
Walking Mother Teresa Boulevard
Mother Teresa Boulevard
Hungry? Looking for some fast food? Check out the Albanian fast food restaurant
Kolonat. Do those golden arches look familiar?
Adem Jashari was one of the founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army. This banner hangs above the entrance to the Palace of Youth and Sport. Prishtina's airport is named after him. In 1998, the Serbian army killed 58 members of Jashari's family including himself, his wife and son during a raid on Jashari's home in Prekaz, near Skenderaj in the Drenica region.
The Palace of Youth and Sport includes a shopping mall that is still a popular shopping venue.
Shopping mall is part of the Palace of Youth and Sport complex.
These young men asked me to take their photo on the steps of the Palace of Youth and Sport.
In front of the Palace of Youth and Sport is the
Newborn Monument. The monument is a typographical sculpture that was dedicated on February 17th, 2008, the day Kosovo declared its independence from
Serbia. Each year, the monument is repainted with a difference scheme and rededicated on February 17th.
The
American School of Kosovo is a private school opened in 2003. The school caters to children from pre-Kindergarten through grade 12. The school operates with the principles of the American educational system and provides a curriculum that is North American-based. Instruction is primarily in English, with the exceptions of courses in Albanian language, Albanian culture, Albanian history and foreign languages (German, Italian, and French).
You can view the photos in high resolution by clicking
here!
