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Attraction 2: PEJA'S CULTURAL HERITAGE

Peja's Old Bazaar

Peja's Old Bazaar represents one of the areas with great values of urban-architectural heritage but also one of the areas that identifies Peja as a city of crafts and trade at local, national and international level. Its origins are in the 15th century, while its various iterations over time hace changed its shape, shrinking it to the form it has today.

At the befinning of its development, this area consisted of the Grand Bazaar, the Old Bazaar, Okol and the Fountain Bazaar, and numbered 960 shops. Nowadays, only the Old Bazaar and Okol remain as areas that represent cultural heritage values.

This area was renowned for its crafts and trades, and its guilds or craftsmen, such as hat makers, weavers, tailors,blacksmiths, wool and yarn craftsmen, goldsmiths, shoemakers, jewelers, watchmakers, barbers etc. In the last war, in 1999, it was completely burned down.

From 2007 to 2016 it was restored and now is the most important heritage complex in Peja, and is visited by many tourists during the year. It is worth mentioning that right in the middle of the Bazaar stands the Bayrakli Mosque, which is known as one of the oldest mosques in Peja. In the courtyard of the mosque are the tombs of Haxhi Zeka and Ali Pasha Gucia, both patriots of the Albanian national cause.

Peja's fortified traditional homes (Kulla)

These 18-20th century kullas are of great importance to the cultural heritage of the city of Peja. They are fortified residential houses rising on two or three floors, while in some exterior parts there also display detailed decorations that represent the features of traditional houses built by Albanian stone masters. Each floor had its own function. Usually the ground floor served as a barn, the second floor for the family and the third floor as the men's quarters.

Peja in earlier times was characterized by a large number of kullas and each had its own characteristics features of construction but over time many of them were destroyed for various reasons, some during the occupation, while others due to the effects of time and the need to raise the living standars of families.

The cultural trail includes visiting the most interesting kullas in the city, among them: Haxhi Zeka's kulla, Kahreman Aga's (Qamil Limani) kulla, Gockaj kulla (can also be visited inside), as well as Zenel Bey's kulla, which is also the oldest kulla in the city.

Peja's Mosques

The mosques date back to the developments under the Ottoman Empire, or the 15th century, when Peja was conquered.

Many mosques have been built in Peja in different periods. Those built in the period of Ottoman rule are distinguished by their construction features, their unique character, as well as by the paintings inside them.

Among them we can mention the Bayrakli Mosque, Defterdar Mosque, Kurshumli Mosque, Pehlivan Mosque and the Clock Tower Mosque. Each of these muslim faith sites represent the centuries-old religious architectural heritage.

Haxhi Zeka's Mill

The donor for its construction was a great Peja patriot, Haxhi Zeka, and the compound consists of two 19th century buildings. Back then, they has a much wider courtyard.

The compound consisted of a mill, barn, grain depot, horse stable, as well as a two-storey kulla that functioned as a guest house for those coming from distant lands. It was the first industrial mill that started operating and served not only for Kosovo but also for the border areas of the region.

It has an Austria-Hungarian style of construction, but in it are also intertwined traditional construction values. The mill mechanism, which was brought from Austria-Hungary, was initially water-powered , and then by elektricity.

Over time it has been used for various needs and over the years it has suffered great damage, especially in the last war of 1998-1999, when it was burned. Nowadays, the mill compound has been restored and has been put on the map of cultural tourism. It has hosted various cultural activities, and also serves as the seat of the center for the development of handicrafts.

Haxhi Bey's Hammam

Haxhi Bey's hammamis is a unique building of the 15th century that presents values of the architectural heritage of Peja.

The hammam served as a public bath which waa characterized by the use by both sexes within the same day. It was build of stone and brick , while the lead -covered roof domes were contained holes which served for lighting. Attempts have been made to destroy this facility over the years, but the good wikk of the citiziens of Peja has always helped preserve the Hammam as a valuable piece of heritage.

Austro-Hungarian Cemetery

It dates from the period between 1915-1917. Most of the buried here are soldiers who served the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and it is therefore known as the Austro-Hungarian Cemetery.

Here rest 168 soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian army and its allies. Among them, 73 soldiers originating from the Kingdom of Hungary and the Kingdom of Croatia - Slavonia have been identified , 49 soldiers from the Kingdom of Bohemia, Bukovina, Dalmatia, Galicia, Moravia, Silesia and Styria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and 46 remain unknown.

It was restored in 2014 and serves as tourist site that tells the history of the city of Peja.

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