Last week Frank and I took a Friday daytrip to the town of Gjakova which is about a 45-minute bus ride form Prizren. This this the Bektashi Tekke, which was rebuilt after being leveled by the Serbs in 1999.

 

The Drini Rive runs through Gjakova.

 

Here is Frank in the Carshia e Madhe - the Grand Bazaar, a large marketplace which attracted traders from all over the region for centuries.  The buildings in the bazaar were heavily damaged during the 1999 war, but most have been completely renovated.

 

 Another view of the Grand Bazaar

This is an old han (inn), Hani i Haraqise.  The building is one of the oldest in Gjakova dating from 1562. Frank and I had coffee in the pleasant traditional restaurant just inside the windows that you see.

 

 We found this fish painting(?) interesting inside of the restaurant in Hani i Haraqise. It had actual fish carcasses incorporated into the art work.  You could fish bones and scales on the fish.

This is the main Catholic church in Gjacova.  It was on a hill and difficult to capture in the camera lens.  A nun who walked by said that services are only on Sundays at 11 and that daily Mass is in a smaller church down the street.  Gjacova has the biggest population of Roman Catholics in Kosovo.  

A side view of St. Peter and Paul Church

 

Across the street from the church was this butcher shop, and Frank noticed the depiction of a pig on the window.  He went inside and was able to buy some pork loin which he made into a delicious carne adovada sauce for burritos a few days ago (with the Chimayo red chile powder that we brought from New Mexico).  We cannot buy pork anywhere in Prizren, and it is not served in any restaurants since Prizren is the most traditional Muslim town in Kosovo.  We were happy to find pork for a change in our usual menu at home.

After buying pork and viewing the exterior of the church, we strolled in the surrounding Catholic neighborhood and came across this lovely view of Montenegro.  It was cloudy that day, so it is hard to see the high mountains of Montenegro in the distance, but the view was wonderful.  A older man who lived in a house with a large area of empty land where we stopped to take the photo came outside and pointed to the view and kissed his hand with his lips relating that the view is spectacular and he is thankful to have it.

 

We probably walked 7 miles throughout the day while we roamed around Gjacova. This photo shows and area known as the wood artisans' section of the city.  The doors and windows in most dwellings and buildings in Gjacova are made of this beautiful wood.  

A wood artisan's shop in Gjacova.  Cradles and a table are displayed in front.

 

Another shop in Gjacova selling wooden items crafted in Gjacova.

 

This is an alley way filled with wood artisans' shops.  It had a Santa Fe feel to it.

 

This is Hadum Mosque in Gjacova and dates from the 16th century. The mosque is famous for its colorful interior and exterior, but unfortunately it was not open when we visited.  The mosque was seriously damaged in 1999, but restoration work is almost complete.

 

The front entryway of teh Hadum Mosque

 

The area near the mosque still had many buildings which show the heavy damage sustained during the 1999 war.

 

Another war-damaged building in Gjacova.

 

After a long, cold day walking around Gjacova, this is me looking at the menu at Carshia e Jupave restaurant in Gjacova. The exterior of the restaurant is pictured below, and it displays aspects of traditional local kulla and citizen architecture. Frank ordered an item on the menu listed as "Sesame Chest" which was a chicken breast with sesame coating and quite good.  I think some of the menu translators could use some help in the English translations!  I had a Mexican steak which was also tasty. It was nice to have some food that was different from the traditional meals that are prominent in Prizren.