Discover Prishtina

Prishtina is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the homonymous municipality and district.

The city has a majority Albanian population, alongside other smaller communities. With a municipal population of around 200,000 inhabitants, Prishtina is the second-largest Albanian-speaking city in the world (after Tirane in Albania). Geographically, it is located in the north-eastern part of Kosovo, close to the Goljak mountains. The city is situated some 250 km north-east of Tirane, 90 km north of Skopje, 520 km south of Belgrade and 300 km east of Podgorica.

During the Paleolithic Age, what is now the area of Prishtina was evolved by the Vinca culture. Prishtina was home to several Illyrian and Roman people during the classical times. King Bardyllis brought various tribes together in the area of Prishtina in the 4th century BC, establishing the Dardanian Kingdom. The heritage of the classical era is still evident in the city, represented by the ancient city of Ulpiana, that was considered one of the most important Roman cities in the Balkan peninsula. In the Middle Ages, Prishtina was an important town in Medieval Serbia and also the royal estate of Stefan Milutin, Stefan Uros III, Stefan Dusan, Stefan Uros V and Vuk Brankovic.

When the Ottomans conquered the Balkan peninsula, Prishtina was an important mining and trading center due to its strategic position near the rich mining town of Novo Brdo. The city was known for its trade fairs and items, such as goatskin and goat hair, as well as gunpowder. The first mosque in Pristina was built in the late 14th century while under Serbian rule. Tolerance and coexistence of religion and culture has been part of society for centuries.

The capital city, Prishtina is the heart of Kosovo due to its central location and its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education, service, research and healthcare. Almost all domestic and foreign companies, media and scientific institutions have headquarters in the city.