Prishtina City--The Capital
Date: Sunday, October 17 @ Mountain Daylight Time
Topic: Kosova's Cities
Prishtina is located at the north-east edge of the Kosova plain in the centre of Kosova. It is on the
route between the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Serbia proper.
Prishtina is the economic, cultural, political, and administrative centre of Kosova. Comprising a territory of 854
km2, Prishtina is the most populous municipality in Kosova, which doubled after the conflict.
In 1991 the city was
home to about 200,000 inhabitants, but presently, it is estimated that approximately 550,000, including 200,000 internally
displaced persons (IDPs) from other areas of Kosova. Furthermore, Prishtina is home to a large international
presence.
Religion, Places of Worship, and Cultural Institutions
Prishtinë/Priština has houses of worship for the Islamic, Serb Orthodox and Catholic religions. Religious landmarks of
the city include the Imperial (Fatih) Mosque, built in 1461 by the Turkish Sultan Mehmet II Fatih, the 13th century
Gračanica Serb Orthodox church and monastery, and the Catholic Church in the Ulpiana district of Prishtinë/Priština city.
Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church was destroyed during the violence of March 2004 and at present has not been
reconstructed.
One of the main Islamic religious leaders in the municipality is the Mufti of Kosovo and the President of the Islamic
Community of Kosovo. He has twice met the head of the Orthodox Church in Kosovo, informally establishing cooperation
between Kosovo’s two main religious communities.
In terms of culture, Prishtinë/Priština offers a variety of activities, ranging from the fine and performing arts to cinemas
and sports. The National Theatre houses approximately 300 seats and one large stage. There is also another theatre in
town, 'Dodona', which operates as a private company.
Economics
Historically, Prishtinë/Priština is known for its fairs of crafts and trade articles, especially woodworks, textiles, hides,
copper works, pottery, and embroidery. These crafts and trades have partially been preserved. In addition, the
municipality’s inhabitants are engaged in a wide range of economic activities including industry, agriculture, construction,
communication, trade, hotel business, and tourism.
Large municipal enterprises are located in Prishtinë/Priština. At the municipal level, the biggest 100 registered business
activities employ approximately 35, 000 workers.
Many efforts have been put in place by several international organizations to promote micro-credit schemes at municipal
level, in Prishtinë/Priština the reference for all stakeholders is economic activities. The Interim Credit Unit (ICU) started in
September 2000 with joint funding from the World Bank and the European Agency for Reconstruction, where long-term
credits for small and medium sized enterprises are being provided. At this point 55 loans have been approved, two of
them for minorities. Furthermore, the Micro Enterprise Bank represents the major credit institution in the Municipality.
Infrastructure
At of the end of the 1999 conflict, Prishtinë/Priština’s population significantly increased, placing tremendous pressure on
the available infrastructure. Concerns also arose over the region’s ability to provide accommodation for the thousands of
new arrivals. Public services such as roads and canalisation systems have been inadequate for this influx, although the
Municipality rapidly increased its interventions through intensive repair processes and reconstruction. Prishtinë/Priština
also faces serious difficulties with regards to the provision of water and electricity.
Communications within the municipality are adequate. The landline telephone network has been upgraded and the two
mobile phone networks, Mobitel and Alcatel are reliable. Prishtinë/Priština residents also have access to the internet
through both the PTK and private enterprises with coverage extending to most of the urban centre.
Sources: OSCE
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