From a la Turka towards a la Franga

Until the first half of the 20th century, Pristina was a much smaller town, overwhelmingly green with poplar trees along its two rivers, gardens surrounding town, houses with oriel windows, and yards with kapicik on the sides fostering neighborhoods and relationships. Amid the pastoral atmosphere rose rather grandiose imperial buildings of the Ottoman Empire. Many of them were constructed in oriental styles. The modernization attempts of the weakened empire in the 19th century resulted in architectural styles influenced by Western Europe. The World Wars redefined the architectural and social fabric of the city as many crafts and old bazaars were stamped out and Pristina’s Jewish community, too, perished. This path invites to take a walk through the remnants of those times.