Four Landmarks to See in Prishtina
Story and Photos by Ardian Nrecaj Public Affairs Specialist
Prishtina became the capital of Kosovo in 1947. The biggest growth of the city came in the 1970s when what is today
considered the center of the town was built. Many historical buildings and houses were torn down to build new ones, as the
communist government had a slogan “destroy the old, build new.”
For those visiting Prishtina today, there are four landmarks they must see, starting with the Ethnological Museum, National Library,
Newborn sign and the Bill Clinton statue that was unveiled by the former U.S. president himself.
Ethnological Museum
The Ethnological Museum is part of the Museum of Kosovo and was opened in September
2006.
Anduena Balaj, a tour guide at the museum, explained that the compound consists of
four buildings from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. “The buildings contain an
ethnological exhibition that tells the story of life in Kosovo in ethnological aspect from the
fifteenth through the twentieth century,” said Balaj.
The exhibition explains four themes: birth, life, death and intangible heritage.
The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
National Library
The building of the National Library was designed by architect Andrija Mutnjakovic. Its
construction started in 1974 and was inaugurated in 1982.
The building is located in the centre of Prishtina inside the Public University complex.
According to the Ministry of Culture of Kosovo, the building was designed as an
expression of contemporary architectural interpretation of regional styles.
The dome construction is used as an appropriate method for the best illumination of
the library. There are 99 cupolas that symbolize the Milky Way, and the 100th is the
Book. The façade of the building provides a certain shade, which has been achieved
by a system of hexagonal shapes installed on the façade.
The library was listed among the 20 ugliest buildings in the world by British web page
NEWBORN
Telegraph.co.uk.
The Newborn sign was designed by the Kosovo artist Fisnik Ismajli and was unveiled
on Feb. 17, 2008.
It was originally painted yellow but was repainted with all the flags of the countries
that have recognized Kosovo on its fifth anniversary.
The sign has won many international awards for design, including the “Golden Lion”
in Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, one of the world's biggest
celebrations of creativity in communications.
Bill Clinton Statue
On Nov. 1, 2009, the former U.S. President Bill Clinton unveiled the statue of himself that
was placed on Bill Clinton Boulevard in Prishtina. According to news agency Reuters,
President Clinton said during his speech at the ceremony that "I never expected ...
anywhere someone will make such a big statue of me."
The statue is three meters tall and was built by the Kosovo sculptor Izeir Mustafa, who
stated for Reuters that "I was thrilled by the work, because I know what he [Bill Clinton] did
for us."
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