Kosovo Prizren is a city in the south of Kosovo, located on the banks of the Bistrica River. It is the administrative center of the Prizren municipality and the second-largest city in Kosovo. Prizren has a rich and varied history that stretches back to the early Roman period. The city has been an important religious center for centuries, and it was the capital of the medieval Serbian state of Rascia. Prizren is also known for its many cultural and historical monuments, including the famous Prizren Fortress, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The earliest mention of Prizren dates back to the 2nd century BCE, when it was part of the Roman province of Dardania. The city was known as Theranda during this period, and it was an important trading center. In the 4th century CE, the city was conquered by the Slavs, who renamed it Prizren. During the Middle Ages, Prizren became an important religious center for the Serbian Orthodox Church. In 1389, the city was captured by the Ottoman Turks, who made it the capital of the Prizren Vilayet.
During the Ottoman period, Prizren was an important center of Islamic learning and culture. It was home to several prominent mosques, including the Grand Mosque of Prizren, which was built in 1615. The city was also home to many prominent Islamic scholars, such as the famous Sufi mystic, Bektashi Baba.
In the 19th century, Prizren became a major center of the Albanian national movement. In 1878, the League of Prizren was founded in the city, and it was the first Albanian nationalist organization. The league's main goal was to unite all Albanian-inhabited regions into a single state. The league's efforts were successful, and in 1912, Kosovo and other Albanian-inhabited regions declared independence from the Ottoman Empire.
In the aftermath of World War I, Kosovo was annexed by Serbia and became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During World War II, Prizren was occupied by the Axis powers, and it was liberated by the Yugoslav Partisans in 1945. After the war, Kosovo became an autonomous province within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
In the 1990s, Kosovo experienced a period of political unrest, and in 1999, the province declared its independence from Serbia. Today, Prizren is a vibrant city that is home to a diverse population of Albanians, Serbs, Bosniaks, and other ethnicities. The city is also home to many cultural and historical sites, including the Prizren Fortress, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.